The Mighty Will Fall
by thejilyship
Summary: Remus Lupin is a wizard, James Potter a prince, Sirius Black a drunk, Peter Pettigrew a stable boy, and Lily Evans a servant girl. Somehow, the five of them will change Camelot as we know it. The question is, will they mend the divides that were left after the Great Purge, or aggravate the fault lines even further? ROYAL AU
1. The Headless Warlock

**AN: So here it is. The first chapter of my newest Marauder story. I was going to put this in the cross over section, but it's not really a cross over so much as a... world swap? I don't really know how to explain it, but there are no Merlin characters in the story, so I don't think it qualifies as a cross over.**

 **If you have any questions, just let me know. You can shoot me a pm, or hit me up on tumblr.**

 **I'm kind of super nervous about this.**

 **Please leave me reviews.**

* * *

 **No young man, no matter how great, can know his destiny. He cannot glimpse his part in the great story that is about to unfold. Like everyone, he must live and learn.**

 **~The Great Dragon**

 **Merlin S1E1**

 **Chapter One: The Headless Warlock**

Remus Lupin was a warlock.

A sorcerer. A wizard. He might as well have been an enemy war leader for all the love he would receive if anyone were to find out. He was born with magic in a time when magic was banned, punishable by death. Even the whisper of a disgruntled neighbor would be enough at times to get your character called to question, and if one of the king's guardsmen suspected you of sorcery, you'd be lucky to keep your head long enough to watch them raise the axe that would sever it from your body.

After an incident involving a burning barn and a herd of miraculously unharmed cows, his mother felt she had no choice but to send him to the one person that she trusted to help keep her son alive; a man by the name of Albus Dumbledore. Albus used to practice magic before the king had banned it, and so Remus's mother thought that Dumbledore could help him learn to control his powers. Even though the man lived right under the nose of the king as the court physician, she thought he would be safer with Dumbledore, learning to control his powers, than he would be at home in Ealdor where anyone could potentially see something unexplainable happen. Because the next time a miracle took place, they might not be thanking the Gods, but pointing a finger at the scrawny boy who always managed to be around when these miracles happened.

And so that's why Remus had packed his things in a knapsack and walked three days from Ealdor, to Camelot. His mother had offered him a horse, but he didn't want to make things hard for her anymore, as he had the previous seventeen years.

It had been a long and tiresome journey, through miles and miles of thick wood and narrow paths. He had passed only a dozen men on his walk, all of them farmers heading home from Camelot or Diagon Isle, the two large cities that were within walking distance of the farmlands that Remus knew stretched on just beyond the edge of the forest. Ealdor had been mostly one large farm, and a small lake. Most of the land that wasn't a city, or a forest, consisted of farms. The farmers were kind, and shared their scraps with Remus, giving him directions or letting him know when he should change course to get to his destination sooner than planned.

Eventually, the path he had been walking turned into a wide road, and where before people had been far and few, there was now far too many people and not nearly enough elbow room. Small cottages littered the side of the road that was still protected by a canopy of thick trees, but when the forest gave way, Remus had to draw breath.

Even with the large gate that wrapped itself around Camelot, Remus could already see a large portion of the city. Camelot sat on a hill for the most part, the castle at the very top, and covering a good majority of the hill all on its own, but the lords and ladies manors did their best to decorate the remainder of the hill, so that very little of the actual hill could be seen at all. There were a few small patches of bright colors that Remus assumed were gardens, but for the most part, the entirety of the hill was covered in stone buildings.

Remus stepped through the open gate of the city and took in a deep breath, letting the sour air fill his lungs and he tried his very best not to miss the sweet, fresh air of his hometown. This was his home now. He would learn to love the crowded streets and the noise that seemed to emanate from absolutely everywhere.

He readjusted the straps of his bag and then took another step forward, ready to find Dumbledore and take a nice long nap in his new quarters.

Of course, never having been to Camelot before, Remus had no idea where Albus was. Back home, this hadn't seemed like a problem, he couldn't imagine it being to terribly difficult to find anyone, but he had vastly underestimated the size of the kingdom. The castle itself, named Hogwarts, was the largest building that Remus had ever set eyes on. Parts of it were taller than the mountains that Remus could see sprouting up on the horizon not too far behind the castle. The mountains worked with the clouds to form the illusion that the castle towers were swaying to and fro in the sky. It had some of the largest and most beautifully pieced together stain glass windows, alcoves and towers hanging about in places that seemed architecturally unsound, but still it stood, thousands of years old. A landmark that would make anyone think twice about testing the strength of this kingdom.

The rest of the town seemed to disperse around the castle, with the more noble houses being closer to the castle walls, and the more rudimentary homes being on the out skirts of the town. A grand lake had wrapped itself around the base of right side of the castle and a river meandered about the town, connecting the lake to the ocean, which rested half a day's walk left of the castle.

Between all the shops that separated the nobles from the commoners, the houses, and the farms, Remus was sure that it would be days before he found Dumbledore.

Though he was the court physician, surely people must know him.

Remus looked around, spotted a red haired girl who looked about his age and walked up to her.

"Excuse me," Remus said, twisting his fingers nervously. "But you wouldn't happen to know where I can find the court physician, would you?"

"Dumbledore?" The girl asked, smiling kindly at him. Remus's heart gave a leap at her immediate response about the man he was looking for. "He'd be up at the castle around this time I'm sure. Did you look there?"

"No I hav-"

"You were hoping he'd be walking around? Yes, well I can understand, though he doesn't normally treat just anyone. Can you imagine having one doctor for the entire city? You might want to try Madam Pomfrey." She then narrowed her eyes, lifted one of her petite hands and laid it against his forehead. "You look a bit peakish, but you don't feel warm. Though it could just be my hands, I've been out in the sun all day running errands. Do you feel like you have a fever?"

"No, you misunderstand me." Remus said quickly. "I'm not ill."

"Oh." The girl said, her lips slightly parted. "Of course not." She said quickly, wiping her hands on her skirt and looking woefully embarrassed.

Remus laughed, feeling a bit more at ease now. "I've just arrived at Camelot and I'm supposed to be staying with Dumbledore. I don't know where he lives though."

"Oh!" She said again, her smile returning. "Well, I'm headed back up to the castle now. I've got one more errand to run, but if you're in no hurry then I'll gladly take you to him myself."

"That would be very helpful. My name is Remus." He said, holding out his hand.

"Lily." She replied, mirroring his gesture. "And I'm terribly sorry I said you look ill."

"Don't worry about it. I can't look all that great. It's been a long walk from my home to here."

"Where is home?"

"Ealdor." Remus said, to which Lily cocked her head to the side. "It's a very _very_ small village just outside Camelot's boarders. You probably haven't heard of it."

"I don't think I have." She agreed. They approached a cart filled with an abundance of colored cloth and Lily excused herself from Remus. She returned a moment latter with pale blue silk draped over her arm. Remus examined her current dress, which was plain and a bit too large for her, and was about to inquire about the silk when she asked, "So why'd you leave home?"

"Er… Well-"

"I'm being rude aren't I? All the questions, sorry. I'm just curious."

"It's no problem." Remus assured her, though they were making him a bit nervous. He had had three days to prepare for this though, and the story that he and his mother had come up with for him was a simple one. "I came here because Dumbledore is a friend of my mother's and she wants a different life for me." Lily nodded, her eyes drifting up the street. They had reached the castle moments ago and were now entering the courtyard. "She thought Camelot offered the best chances."

"Oh dear." Lily said quietly. Remus looked over at her, confused. He didn't think he had said anything that warranted that response. Lily wasn't looking at him however, her eyes were locked on something up the street a ways. "Not again." He followed her gaze up to a crowd of people standing around a raised wooden platform. A young man was being dragged up onto the platform by two guards in intimidating metal helmets and red vest with the Potter crest on them.

"What's going on?" Remus asked.

"An execution." She shook her head. "Welcome to Camelot." She said dryly.

"What'd he do?" He asked.

"Looks like he's been accused of sorcery. He's got that red band tied around his neck." Lily replied. Before she could say more, a voice rang out overhead.

"My good people of Camelot," The crowd that had gathered in front of Remus and Lily quickly fell silent, and they were now looking up at a castle balcony where King Charles was standing.

This was the first time that Remus had ever seen King Charles. He had heard a countless number of stories about the man, most of them portraying him in a negative light, but he had never seen him before. He was tall and thin with grey short hair. He was older than Remus thought he would be and he just didn't look like the cruel man people said he was. He looked grandfatherly, gentle and kind. It almost made Remus rethink his opinion of the man.

But then he spoke.

"This man before you," The king said, addressing the people. "Has been found guilty of sorcery, and with sorcery being one of the greatest crimes you can commit, there is only one punishment I see fit to give. I sentence this man to death, by beheading."

"What?" Remus said slightly louder than he meant to. He looked around and, but no one else seemed at all surprised by the king's sentence. They all looked somber, but no one seemed to think that this was wrong. Remus looked back up at the boy, who was now sobbing and begging for his life, he couldn't have been older than seventeen. "He can't do this." Remus said, looking at Lily. She bit her lip but didn't say anything.

The king's hand dropped and with it, the executioner's blade. There was a collective intake of breath and then everyone looked back up towards their king.

"Another evil has been disposed of. We can all sleep easier now." The king's speech went on for a while longer, but Remus stopped listening. His blood had run cold and he was shaking slightly. He couldn't decide if he were more angry or terrified. The king had mentioned no actual crime, aside from having magic, what had that man done to be deserving of death? And why had Remus's mother sent him here if this is what happened to sorcerers. He was a sorcerer, he had magic, and he couldn't always control his magic. Was he going to meet the same fate as the man on platform?

He had known that the guardsmen had been known to behead people in the name of the king, but Remus had assumed that these men were cruel and drunk on power, and that was what had made them act so vile towards the common people. This was the king's order though, not some man acting in the name of the king.

He had looked so calm as well. As though sentencing a man to death was just another part of his day.

"Remus?" Lily said, gently grabbing his arm. "Are you sure you're not ill?"

"They just killed that man." Remus said. Lily's gaze softened.

"Was that your first execution? They are horrible aren't they?" She said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "But drastic measures have to be taken. Magic is dangerous."

"That doesn't mean that boy should have died. He was just a child." Lily cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder.

"The king is only doing what he thinks it right."

Remus didn't say anything, but followed Lily away from the crowed.

"Well, this is it." Lily said after a few moments. "Dumbledore's room is right up these stairs." She pointed at the staircase they had stopped in front of. Remus had hardly noticed that they had entered the castle. "It was nice meeting you, Remus."

"You as well." Remus replied.

"I'll see you around I'm sure."

"Of course." She turned away and started walking down the corridor a little ways, then she spun around to face him once again.

"Oh and Remus, don't worry about what happened earlier. It doesn't happen all that often. I'm sorry if I made you think it did."

"It's fine." Remus said. Then she was gone. Remus turned towards the stairs and started up them. He didn't understand how anyone could be so cavalier about a man dying. Lily had just brushed it off as though it was nothing. She didn't have a reaction of any kind while watching the execution.

When he reached the top of the staircase, he was met with a very thin wooden door. It was slightly open and he could hear humming coming from within the room. He knocked quietly, but there was no response, so he pushed the door open some more and stuck his head inside.

"Albus Dumbledore?" He called out.

"Yes, yes come in." A voice called. "I'll be out in a moment."

Remus pushed the door open and was instantly hit with a very strong aroma. The room smelled like every herb he had ever smelled, rosemary, basil, mint, chamomile, all mixed together. And then chocolate.

"How can I help you?" Albus asked, walking out from behind a wall of bookshelves. He was old. Extremely old. He walked with a slight hunch and he had a beard that went almost all the way down to his knees. He was looking at Remus over a pair of half-moon glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose.

"My name is Remus Lupin," He said, pulling his rucksack in front of him and digging through its contents. "My mother wrote you this note." He said, pulling a slightly wrinkled piece of parchment from his bag and handing it to the older man. He opened it and skimmed the page.

"Of course!" He said after a moment. "I don't know why your name didn't ring a bell. It must be my old age. I'll need to start putting some rosemary in my tea I suppose." Remus didn't know what he was talking about but nodded politely. Albus smiled at him. "I've cleared the back room for you, you can put your things in there. It's not much I'm afraid, but I think it will do nicely."

He turned to point to the door in the back of the room and as he lifted his arm, the sleeve of his cloak caught on the table and it lurched causing a bucket on the end to fall off. Before the contents of the bucket could spill, or the bucket could hit the ground, it froze in midair. Remus quickly grabbed the bucket and placed it back on the table.

"Did you do that?" Dumbledore asked, staring at Remus in awe.

"I didn't mean to." Remus said quickly, looking at the space on the floor directly above his feet. "I'm sorry. It just happens sometimes. My mum told me that you could-"

"What do you mean it just happens? Did you say an incantation? How did you do it?"

"I don't know how I did it. I don't know any spells. It just happens."

"Remarkable." Remus looked up in surprise. His mother had never spoke ill of him for his magic, but she had never seemed impressed. Dumbledore was beaming at him. "Though it would be best not to let anyone else see. I'm afraid they won't share my wonder."

Remus nodded. "I saw the execution earlier." Dumbledore's smile vanished and he clasped his hands together.

"Tragic." He said somberly. "The poor boy wasn't even a sorcerer. I'm afraid that Charles is so blinded by his fear that his judgment when the crime is magic cannot be trusted anymore."

"Even if he was a sorcerer…" Remus said, looking through his lashes at the old man.

"Oh, of course." He said. "I know. It still would have been awful. Charles fears magic, which is why he does this. He thinks he is protecting people though, he really does. That doesn't make him right though." Remus nodded again. "Now, go put your things away. I've got an errand for you to run if you don't mind."

"Not at all." Remus said, though his legs were aching and his eyes were stinging. He had not slept well since he had left home. He walked into the back room and tossed his bag on the bed, not letting himself dwell on the thought of how comfortable it looked for too long. It wasn't much, but it was nice. There was a dresser, some shelves, a bed and a nightstand. There was also a window with a view of the entire village surrounding the castle.

"I normally do this myself," Dumbledore said, drawing Remus back into the main room. "But I'm getting on in years, and it would be much easier for you to do it. It will be good for you anyway, to get to know your way around." He picked up two vials of colored liquid. "This one," He said, lifting the blue one. "Is for Sir Elphias Doge. He's a dear old friend, but his years as a knight have made him almost completely blind and deaf. One too many blows to the head I'd say." Remus chuckled appreciatively. "And this one," He held up a purple vial. "Is for Musidora." He handed them both to Remus, gave him simple instructions on where to find the two patients and then sent him on his way.

Sir Elphias had a room in the castle as well, so he wasn't too difficult to find. Remus's encounter with him was mostly Elphias shouting, squinting and grabbing at the air.

Musidora lived in the middle of town however, so Remus did get to take another look around Camelot. He passed Lily in the courtyard, where the platform had already been taken down and there was no evidence anywhere to suggest an execution had taken place earlier. They had waved at one another, but she seemed as though she was in a hurry and Remus wondered what she did exactly that had her in and out of the castle so much and buying silk.

Finally he reached Musidora's home, which was nestled awkwardly in-between a tavern and a blacksmith's shop. The house looked as though someone was pushing one end of the roof towards the ground. There was a pigpen in front of the only window on the small house, and there were three pigs, all very fat, laying in a bit of mud. Remus knocked on the door and it opened right away.

"Dumbledore?" The woman asked. Upon seeing that Remus was not Dumbledore, she slammed the door.

"Wait!" Remus called. "Dumbledore sent me! I have your medicine!" The door opened again and the woman placed her hands on her hips.

"Well there's no need for ya to be telling the whole of Camelot, is there?"

"No, ma'am. I'm sorry." He gave her the vial and then had the door slammed in his face again. "Well that was rude." He muttered, shaking his head.

He was halfway across the courtyard when he was nearly knocked off his feet.

"Pardon me." A boy mumbled, shuffling in the opposite direction. "I didn't mean to run into you." The boy looked a few years younger than Remus, and he was carrying a large wooden circle that was half his size, painted to look like a target.

"It's fine." Remus said. "Do you need help with that? Where are you trying to get it?"

"Would you stop running into people, you buffoon?" There was a sharp whirring noise and then the boy fell to the ground as a dagger made contact with the board he was carrying.

"Sorry, sir." The boy said, only slightly louder than his apology to Remus had been.

Remus's head whipped towards the direction the dagger had come from. "What do you think you're doing?" He shouted, though he didn't quite know who he was shouting at yet. "You could have killed someone." He heard laughing and saw a group of three men, all wearing knight's robes, and correctly assumed that it was one of them who had thrown the dagger.

"Keep your skirt on," The one in the middle of the group called. "I never miss my target."

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you didn't risk my life the next time you want to show off."

"I told you, I never miss my target." He had dark hair and a slightly crooked grin. "Get up, Bertram."

"Yes, sir." The kid stood and held the target up so it covered his face.

"Bertram?"

"Yes, sir?" He asked, peering out over the top of the target.

"Run!"

"Yes, sir!" He squealed. Then he was running, as well as he could while carrying the target over his face.

The knight sent more daggers flying through the air, all of them hitting the target and making Bertram stumble, until finally he fell to the ground again. The target flew from his hands and landed near Remus's feet. The knights roared with laughter.

"I think that's enough." Remus said, stepping on the target to prevent Bertram from picking it up. He didn't know where all this courage was coming from, but he knew he couldn't just stand there and watch the boy get bullied.

"Is it?" The knight asked. "And who are you to say so?"

"My name is Remus. I have no authority to say-"

"That's right, you don't. So maybe you should learn-"

"I was speaking." Remus said loudly. The knight looked shocked. In fact, the entire courtyard had gone silent and was listening to the exchange raptly. Remus took a deep breath, but for once, the attention of others didn't quell his desire to speak. "I have no authority to say what you can and cannot do. But I, unlike you, have decency. Isn't being a knight supposed to be about nobility and honor? What's honorable about bullying a kid half your size?"

"I wasn't bullying him." The knight said quickly. "I was simply-"

"Humiliating him to impress your friends? To get a laugh out of them?" Remus asked. "I don't care what you call it. It needs to stop. You owe him an apology."

"You can't talk to him like that." One of the other knights said, fingering his sword and stepping forward.

"You _are_ walking a dangerously thin line." The dark haired knight said in agreement. "Do you know who I am?"

"I suppose we can add arrogance to list of your character traits. No, I don't know who you are." The knight actually laughed at this.

"My name is James." He said, taking a few more steps towards Remus and giving him a quick bow. Though, Remus got the feeling that it was more for show than a sign of respect and it made Remus's blood run cold for the second time since he entered Camelot. "James Potter. And you my friend, need to learn how to treat members of the royal family." James smirked and then waved some of the guards over. For a brief moment, Remus thought that James was going to have him killed right there in the middle of the courtyard. He thought of his mother, and what she would do when a letter of Remus's death finally reached her. "Throw him in a cell." James said instead, and then he was being dragged off towards the castle.

oOoOo

James was putting on a show at the moment. Laughing along with his knights at what that Remus kid had said to him. The knights actually thought it was funny, hilarious even, that someone would ever _dare_ speak to James Potter as Remus had. James however, didn't think it was funny. He didn't think it was funny at all.

Bertram was an odd kid, and he was pretty much useless as a training servant, but he was a good kid. He was nice and well mannered, he never spoke ill of James and always seemed relatively happy to see him, no matter what James said or did to him. Maybe James had been taking advantage of that to cause a few laughs. Maybe he had gone a bit too far.

He wasn't _bullying_ Bertram. He wasn't being intentionally cruel. He had gone too far, but he hadn't been cruel.

He supposed, perhaps Remus wasn't completely out of line calling him out. Not that he could do anything about Remus's situation. Remus was a man of no stature as far as James knew, and he was not allowed to talk to James like he had. No one but James' father was allowed to speak to him in that manner, and even the king hardly found it necessary to correct James' behavior.

Which was rather unfortunate for Remus, who was only trying to stick up for Bertram.

James tried to shrug off all thoughts of Remus as he walked to his room to change for dinner. As he reached his door he caught a flash of red in his peripheral vision and turned to see one of the maids walking down the corridor with her arms full of laundry.

She was a pale girl, dressed in simple clothing that was a bit too large on her thin frame. She had dark red hair that was pulled out of her face with a ribbon, but small strands had escaped throughout the day and were now swaying back and forth around her face as she walked. Maybe her most striking feature however were her large, bright green eyes.

James' hand slipped off his door handle upon seeing her, causing him to lose his balance and hit his head against the door. He quickly stood up straight, shook himself, and then nodded at the girl. She nodded back, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks as she tried her hardest not to grin. And then she walked, slightly faster than before, out of the corridor.

James mentally cursed himself for acting like such a prat. Then he mentally cursed himself again for caring how he acted in front of a simple servant girl. Albeit, she was a very beautiful servant girl, but still a servant girl just the same. She was beneath him and it was pointless to have this annoying attraction to her. Besides, it's not like the girl had ever shown any interest in him. However, this is probably because she knew that there could never be anything between them. It couldn't be because she wasn't interested in James. James was next in line for the throne, he was Camelot's mightiest warrior; he made all the girls swoon. Why would she be an excep-

"Your highness?" James was brought out of his musings by his man-servant. "Would you like me to help you with your chainmail?"

"Um… Yes. Of course, Benjy. I'll be needing my dinner clothes as well." Benjy wasn't actually his man-servant, but a temporary replacement for his man-servant who had resigned from his position to care for his only son after his wife had died of a fever. James wasn't as fond of Benjy as he had been his old man-servant. But Benjy was kind, and good for a laugh, so James was kind in return.

"Of course, sir."

oOoOo

"The lad was completely out of line, shouting at you like he had any right." Amos Diggory said, later that night in the weapons room. The knights had yet to exhaust the topic and it was starting to wear on James' nerves. All through dinner, they had recounted the tale to all the other knights and it had made James rethink having dinner them instead of his father and the king's ward. Amos chuckled while inspecting the blade of his sword, "Though he did look pretty shocked to find out who you were, no?"

"Unfortunately, his ignorance doesn't pardon him." James said, for what he thought was the dozen-th time. It didn't seem to matter how hard he tried to change the subject, the topic of conversation always circled back to Remus. He sat down on one of the benches and rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers.

"We _were_ being a bit hard on Bertram. The boy just thought he was being helpful." Amos said, picking up his boots and putting them and his sword on the back wall with the rest of his things.

"I wasn't there," This came from Frank Longbottom and James had to turn his head to see him. Frank was older than James by about five years, and about half a foot taller. James respected him a great deal, and had appreciated the fact that Frank hadn't found it necessary to weigh in on the subject until now. "But I'd say it takes a pretty brave man to stick up to three knights on the behalf of someone you don't even know."

"Yes, yes," James grumbled, twisting his leather belt one too many times and causing the material to tear slightly and lighten in color. He threw it to the ground and stood up. "You're both right. Remus is real hero material. I'll talk to my father later about reducing his sentence and having deemed champion of the kingdom or something." He rolled his eyes and took his gloves from his pockets, throwing them against the wall. They fell to the floor and Benjy ran forward to fetch them. James, who had already been bending over to get them himself, gritted his teeth.

"Three knights, James." Arden Weasley said, as he entered the room. He tossed his sword to one of the other servants that were fluttering about and continued addressing the room, "You, Amos and me. Most of the other _knights_ don't tell us when we're being pricks. You should do more than lessen his sentence."

"What are you saying, Arden? You want me to make him a knight?"

"He's got nerve. That's all I'm saying." Arden said, cocking his head to the side and grinning.

James sighed. He was feeling impulsive again and nothing good ever came from him being impulsive. "Fine." He stood up.

"Where are you going?" Amos called after him.

"The cells."

"Now?" Frank asked, running to catch up to James, Arden and Amos did the same. "He'll probably be asleep."

"He's not asleep." Arden said. "Have you ever tried to sleep in the cells? It's bloody uncomfortable."

"How would you know?" Amos asked, giving his brother in arms an amused look.

"I got… _escorted_ out of the tavern a few months ago. Wasn't exactly happy about it so I clocked one of the guards in the face. He thought he'd teach me a lesson."

"You're an idiot." Frank said, shaking his head.

"Seriously James, why'd you let him be a knight?" Amos laughed.

"I'm good with a sword, you swat head."

"Why are you all following me?" James asked, unnaturally annoyed by their presence.

Arden shrugged. "Seems like more fun than heading off to bed." Frank and Amos nodded.

When they reached the cells, the guards seemed more than a bit surprised to see James, for he rarely made it his business to come down to this part of the castle, but they handed over the keys without question.

"Remus," James called when he reached the correct cell. The boy stood up, looking quite surprised and then, when he saw who it was, he scowled. James was baffled by this boy. He showed no fear, no remorse, he only looked angry. He had sandy blonde hair and deep, forest green eyes that were narrowed into slits. His jaw was set and sharp. He couldn't be older than James was, and it was obvious that he had never done much manual labor before, but there was something about him that made him intimidating and James couldn't put his finger on it.

"Come down here to-"

"I'm going to stop you from saying whatever it was that you were about to say." James said, putting his hand in the air to show he wanted Remus to remain silent. "You were out of line earlier today. That was no way to speak to a knight, let along the king's son. However," He paused to take in Remus's reaction, which was almost nonexistent, "I fear that we were also out of line. The king's son or not, I have no right to treat my subjects like I was and I want you to know that I have apologized to Bertram, so have Arden and Amos." The respective knights nodded.

Remus didn't look impressed or glad that he had made any sort of impact on them. He just stood in his cell, fists clenched at his sides and looked James dead in the eye, his face void of emotion. James shifted his weight from one foot to the other and crossed his arms over his chest. "I also want you to know that we admire your bravery and I do not think that it is something you should be punished for. Like I said, I was out of line and someone needed to tell me."

"Seriously?" Remus said after a moment's pause. "That's it?"

"Well," James said, clenching his fists. "I'm also letting you out."

"You do realize that-" Remus stopped talking and squeezed his eyes shut. "Never mind. I'm not too keen on spending the night in here. Thank you for your _mercy_ , your royal highness."

James reached round his belt and pulled the keys off; found the correct one and unlocked Remus's cell. "You're welcome." He said awkwardly, a bit unsure of how he was supposed to react to that. He heard Arden chuckle behind him and wanted to elbow the knight in his gut, but refrained.

Remus brushed past him and took off towards the exit. "You could be a bit more grateful." James called after him, regretting this decision almost instantly.

Remus stopped walking and, without turning around said, "You're the one that had me locked up in the first place, why should I be grateful?" Then he quickly stalked off.

"All spit, fire and rage that one." Amos sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. James had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't the only one that found Remus to be intimidating.

"Of course he's upset!" Arden said, not sharing James and Amos's feelings. "He was locked in a cell all afternoon. He'll come 'round."

"Why do you like him so much?" Amos asked. "He's really not too fond of you."

"Eh. I wouldn't be too fond of me either if I were him." Arden shrugged. Arden Weasley was an extremely good natured man, always ready for a laugh at his own expense. James envied his carefree behavior at times. "Feel better now, James?"

"Yes." James lied. "Now let's all get some sleep. We're running drills in the morning."

"Of course, your royal highness." Arden smirked, dipping into a bow. "Sleep. That means no going to the tavern Frank, you hear?" Frank smiled, but didn't say anything to that. They all started walking out of the dungeons.

"You're not fooling anyone, Arden." Amos said. "Not that you were trying."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Arden said.

"You know," James sighed. "You're not _that_ good with a sword." Then he walked away, leaving one insulted knight whose smirk had yet to fade completely and two others laughing. Normally, that would make James feel pretty good, but not tonight.

Once he was out of the dungeons, he started jogging. Remus couldn't have gone that far and for some reason, James really wanted to talk to him.

He was about to turn left, towards the village, when he heard footsteps coming from the right. Sure enough, it was Remus.

"Oi!" James called out. "Re- You there, stop for a minute!" Remus turned around and had the same reaction he had in his cell to seeing James.

"What now? Were my thanks not sincere enough? Are you going to throw me back in-"

"Would you stop with that?" James asked, coming to a stop before Remus. "I really am sorry that I threw you in the dungeons. It's just, I couldn't let you get away with speaking to me like that. There were too many people around."

"You're not very good at apologizing." Remus sighed, turning away. James reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"I'm still not entirely convinced that I have anything to apologize for." He lied. Remus rolled his eyes. "At least not to you. I've already admitted that I was wrong where Bertram was concerned."

"Then what are you doing now?" James shrugged.

"I'm afraid that you got the wrong impression of me." He said, trying to put words to what he was feeling. "I don't make a habit of terrorizing the servants. Honestly, I don't."

"So today was just an off day?"

"It was just a bit of fun." James said. "It was meant to be a laugh."

"Not for the kid." Remus said.

"See," James said. "That's what's bothering me. You don't even know this boy, yet your continue to stand up for him regardless of the personal consequences. Why?"

"Like I said earlier, I'm decent. Or at least I try to be."

"It's more than that." James said. He didn't know why he was tolerating this rudeness. He was raised to believe that people were supposed to talk to him a certain way. They were supposed to conduct themselves in a certain manor around him. Remus was doing the complete opposite of what people were supposed to do when addressing James, and for some reason, James was okay with that. Sure the knights would joke with him, but there was a line that they never crossed. Remus either didn't care about the line, or just didn't know that it existed. "Where were you going anyway? The village is the other direction."

"I know." Remus sighed, rubbing his eyes. James noticed that he looked exhausted. "But I live with the court physician, so I'm not going to the village."

"Since when? I've known Dumbledore since I was young, he doesn't have any family."

"Since this morning." Remus said. "He's a friend of my mother's."

"So that's why you didn't know me? You're not from around here?"

"No, I'm not. I'm from Ealdor. Now, sir, if you don't mind, I've had a very long, exhausting day and I really would like to get some sleep."

"Yes, of course." James said, almost satisfied in how the end of this meeting was going. "I suppose I'll be seeing you around, then." He didn't know why he would be seeing Remus around, but for some reason he knew that he would.

"I suppose." Remus said. He gave James a look of confusion and then walked off.

"Who was that, James?" The king's ward appeared next to James, causing him to jump slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't." James said quickly, but he tried his best not to sound defensive.

"Of course not. How could I?" Bellatrix grinned. Bellatrix Black was the King's ward. Her family had died five or six years ago and she had been living with James and his father ever since. There had been a time when people in the court, and even the king himself, expected them to wed one another when they came of age, but how could they? In the years that they had spent together, she had become something of a sister to him, and him a brother to her. They were close and they got along well. She was beautiful of course, her long, thick black hair surrounding her head like a cloud, swirling around and dropping in ringlets, and her deep brown eyes that were always warm and welcoming. But she was family. "Now, who was the boy you were talking to?"

Her maid was standing behind her, the same girl that James had made of fool of himself in front of earlier that day, and he tried his best not to let his gaze linger, Bella would notice if it did. She had a way of noticing almost everything. Though he still chanced a quick look, the torch light bounced off her hair in such a way that it appeared as though it were glowing, and her eyes sparkled and James thought that he had never seen anyone more beautiful. He cleared his through and looked back at Bella.

"His name is Remus. He's new around here. Lives with Dumbledore. Apparently he's from Ealdor."

"Where's that?"

"I've got absolutely no idea."

"Fascinating." Bella drawled. James casted another quick look at Bella's maid, which reminded Bella that she was there at all. "Oh, Lily!" She spun around and grabbed her maid's hand. "I didn't mean to keep you this late, you can head home for the day."

"Are you certain, my lady?" Lily spoke with a certain elegance that James hadn't expected and it dawned on him that this was the first time that he was hearing her voice.

"I think I can manage getting to bed on my own tonight." Bella smiled.

"Then I'll see you in the morning, your grace." Lily curtsied to both Bella and James and then left the corridor.

When James turned back towards Bella, after unwittingly watching Lily leave, Bella was smirking. "She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?"

"What?" James asked, trying and failing to sound indifferent. "I've never really looked, I suppose- I mean she's got peculiar colored hair."

"What is it with you and the commoners today, James?" Bella asked, still smiling.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about." James took a deep breath and bid her goodnight before finding his own way out of the corridor.


	2. Of Fish and Murderous Witches

_**All will succumb to the power of love.**_

 _ **~Unknown**_

 **Chapter Two: Of Fish and Murderous Witches**

Lily lay in bed for a moment longer than she should, and glared up at the ceiling. She had a very long day ahead of her, and it could have been almost two hours shorter if her sister hadn't insisted on being… well, her sister. Petunia Evans could easily have done the errands that their father needed done today, Lily thought that they _should_ have been done by Petunia actually. It would have been much easier for her older sister to go out later in the day and get the things that their father needed for the house and his work, but Petunia thought herself above such things. Which left Lily to get up earlier than normal, before she had to go up to the castle, and head down to the market before the sun had even begun to rise up over the mountains.

Petunia Evans was two years older than Lily and, in her younger sister's opinion, a very silly girl. She spent almost all of her time walking around the streets with her friends, waiting for suitors to come and court her, or at least that's what it seemed like to her younger sister. Petunia did not have a job _and_ she rarely did anything to help around the house. Her father said that this was because Petunia was delicate, but Lily knew that the true reason that Petunia stayed out of the house so often was because she didn't want to see Lily. The two girls hadn't gotten along well since they were young children. The last fond memory Lily had of Petunia was when their mother was still with them.

Their father had tried to talk to Petunia the night before, asking her to go to the market for him, but she had explained to him, in a ridiculous accent that the nobles typically spoke in, that she just didn't have time to run to the market for him. She had breakfast with Yvonne and two gentlemen from Wolfpine, a neighboring city known for their wealth. She explained that she couldn't cancel because Yvonne's aunt had been keen on the girls meeting these men for quite some time.

"Besides, daddy," Petunia said, putting a small, clean hand on their father's shoulder. "You wouldn't want me to go to the market all alone now, would you? I'm not very practiced when it comes to handling money and those men will be able to tell. I'd be taken advantage of." Lily wanted to throw something very heavy at her sister's head, but she refrained and opted for imagining that she was sitting on the riverside instead. She pretended that she couldn't see her father swallowing her sister's ridiculous explanations, and that she was catching turtles and picking flowers as she used to do when she was a child.

And now, Lily was up before she had to go to work, doing what her father needed done. However, not many people were up at such an early hour and that made the errands a bit difficult. Lily had to wake up one man at the dock and ask him if the iron shipment had come in yet, and then she had to wake up two boys so they could carry the iron to her father's shop for her. They were extremely disgruntled, but cheered up a bit when Lily gave them a silver coin each for their troubles.

When all of this was finally finished with, the sun was just starting to peek over the mountains, so Lily dashed up towards the castle, not having eaten anything for breakfast and with the bottom of her dress still wet from being down by the dock.

"Don't know why she couldn't do it." She muttered to herself, rushing down the corridor towards Lady Bella's chambers. She hadn't even gotten the chance to put her hair up this morning, and was finding it rather difficult to tie a ribbon while she was moving as quickly as she was. "She's going to make me late one of these days, then what will she do? We won't be able to afford our house and she'll be sorr- Oof!"

Lily's ramblings were interrupted when she rounded the corner and ran into Prince James. Not realizing who it was, Lily sighed angrily. "Why don't you watch where you're going?" She asked, pushing her hair back behind her ears, before she re-gathered her hair to try to tie it back again.

"I'm terribly sorry." James said quickly, reaching out a hand and placing it on Lily's arm. "I didn't hurt you did I?" Lily looked up and blushed. Of course she had crashed into James. Her hair fell in waves down her back as her hands went to her sides and clenched her dress. Her curtsy was clumsy.

"I'm sorry, sir." She muttered, trying to clean up her accent. She was still speaking like she was down in the market. "I didn't realize it was you. I should have been watch-"

"It was my fault." James said quickly, not letting her continue with her apology. Lily pressed her lips together and took stock of the man before her. This was the third time in two days that she had seen him, been close to him. Normally, she hardly saw him at all. Only when he would come to Bella's room to visit, or if Bella had Lily accompany her to dinner.

"Alright, but I should not have spoken to you like that." She said, still blushing. "It was inappropriate." Not that this entire exchange wasn't inappropriate, but she couldn't say that. She had to hold her tongue and be agreeable. Two things that Lily Evans didn't particularly like to do.

"Nonsense." James said. Then he laughed a bit and looked down. "Apparently I need people to yell at me more often." Lily squinted at him, slightly confused as to what he was talking about, but then she remembered that Bella could be waking up any moment.

"I'll just be on my way then." She said, stepping around him and giving him another curtsy. "Have a nice morning, your highness."

"You as well, Lily."

Lily stopped walking and turned around to face him, but he had already rushed off down the corridor. How did he know her name? She wasn't his servant, she was quite certain that this was the only conversation that they'd ever had. It was an odd thought, the Prince knowing who she was. Then she remembered the previous night, how he had kept casting side glances at her every so often, Lily had assumed that he had done that because he hadn't wanted her there, eavesdropping on a private conversation, but after today's exchange, maybe there was a different reason he had kept looking at her. She brushed it off and rushed off to Bella's room.

"Oh, there you are." Bella said when Lily opened the door a few moments later. She was still seated in bed, though wide awake. Lily could tell that she had been waiting for Lily to arrive. "I was beginning to worry about you."

"I'm so sorry, Lady Bellatrix." Lily sighed. "I ran into the prince a few moments ago."

"Well, then it is I who should be sorry, no?" She laughed and Lily smiled appreciatively. Bella and James's relationship was much like that of a brother and sister. They joked and pestered one another, but everyone knew that they cared for each other a great deal. "He's such an arrogant fool; a _lovable_ arrogant fool, but an arrogant fool nonetheless." Lily rolled back Bella's sheets and then stepped back so Bella could get out of bed. "What did he want with you then? He seems to be floundering without a permeant servant of his own."

"He didn't want anything. I meant to say that I collided with him. I was walking around the corner and we ran into one another."

"Oh dear! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. No one got hurt."

"That's good." She floated over to her dresser and ran her fingers over the fabrics. "Why don't you pick out my clothes today, Lily. You have such a way with colors."

"Thank you, my lady. I'd be happy to."

"I want something impressive though. I'm supposed to go on a ride with the king later."

"Of course, my lady."

"Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you smell like fish?" Lily bit her lip and cursed her sister yet again.

oOoOo

It was past noon and still Lily had not had anything to eat. Not only was she hungry, but she was also nursing a headache and attempting to cover up her stomachs rumbling whenever Bella was around. She had snuck down to the kitchens after preparing Bella for her ride with the king, but the cook had caught her and kicked her out. All she was able to get was a shriveled up apple, and that was only because someone had thrown it at her as the cook was shouting at her to leave. It was slightly mushy and she ended up feeding it to one of the guard's horses. And even the horse didn't seem too pleased with it.

She had maybe an hour or two until Bella came back from her ride so she went out to the courtyard, hoping to buy some bread or fruit, but instead she ran into Remus, the odd boy who moved to the city yesterday. She didn't know what to think of him yet. She had seen him stand up to the prince, though she hadn't decided if that made him brave or stupid. She supposed it made him a bit of both. Curious as to how he was able to walk about the courtyard freely after yesterday's show, she decided to go over and talk to him.

"Hello, Remus." She said cheerfully, walking up beside him. He jumped slightly, his head jerking around to see who she was. That was another odd thing about him. He was a rather nervous bloke, especially for someone who had the gull to stand up to three knights when he didn't even possess a blade of any kind. He did relax when he recognized her however and set her with a thin-lipped smile. Lily couldn't tell if he was relieved or disappointed to see her, but she decided not to ask. She didn't often get to talk to people her own age. Apart from Bella, she didn't really get to talk to anyone all that much, and she wasn't about to be choosy about potential friends. Even if this potential friend had already managed to anger the prince in less than a day…

"Lily! Hello. What are you doing up here?" He asked, his eyes red and weary. She almost made a comment about how he wasn't doing a whole lot to convince her that he wasn't sick, but thought better of it and decided to simply answer his question instead.

"At the castle you mean?" He nodded. "Well, I'm Lady Bellatrix's personal maid." She recoiled as soon as the words left her mouth and shook her head, which caused it to throb painfully. She closed her eyes for a moment before continuing, "I tried to make that sound impressive by putting 'personal' in there. I'm still just a maid though."

"It sounded impressive." Remus said with a grin that looked only slightly more sincere than the first one. "And you get to be in the castle all day, which must be nice."

"Yes." Lily sighed, sweeping her stray hairs back behind her ear. She could hear her stomach grumbling and wished her sister to hell for the hundredth time that morning. She hoped Remus couldn't hear it. "I get to look at all the fine things in life that I will never have. It's grand."

"I guess you could look at it like that." Remus said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking down. "I'm choosing not to though." Lily was beginning to think Remus was a glass-half-full kind of person. If she wanted to be friends with him, she would have to cut back on her pessimistic remarks.

She really wasn't making a good impression on this bloke.

"Oh, you work in the castle too?"

"Well, I'm acting as Dumbledore's assistant until I can find a paying job."

"That's fun. Is he going to teach you how to be a physician?" Remus laughed.

"I doubt I'd be any good at that." Okay, so maybe he wasn't a glass-half-full kind of person. Lily usually prided herself on being able to read people, but Remus wasn't quite the open book people usually were around her. Maybe her headache was throwing her off. Or her lack of nourishment.

"Why not?" Lily asked, spying a trolley of smoked walnuts. She forced herself to look back at Remus. "You're around a great physician all day, you have all the books around you. If you wanted to, you could learn."

"I suppose." He looked down at the ground and kicked a rock with his foot.

"Oh don't act all shy now." Lily said, forgetting about her hunger as she found a way to lead him towards the topic that had sent her in his direction in the first place. "I saw what you did yesterday." Remus looked up at her.

"What?"

"I saw you stand up to Prince James. Not only to Prince James, but to two other knights as well. That was mighty impressive."

"Oh, that." Remus scrunched his face up and pressed his lips together. "You know he threw me in a cell for that."

"Well, I'm surprised that's all he did. Actually, I was more than a little surprised to see you walking about just now. How did you managed to talk yourself out of that? The King's had people imprisoned for less."

"That's encouraging." Remus muttered under his breath. Then he reached up and tugged at a lock of his hair. "That's the odd part though, isn't it?" He looked over at her and shook his head. "The prince came down to the dungeons a few hours later and _apologized_. I don't know him very well, but from what I saw yesterday, that seems extremely out of character."

"Well, your offence wasn't really that bad. And you did something really no- Wait, what? He apologized?" Remus nodded. "James Potter came down and apologized to you?" The words 'arrogant fool' were playing over in her head from this morning. "Sincerely?"

"Yeah. And he brought three of his knights, who also apologized and then he let me go." This threw Lily. It was one thing for him to apologize to her when they were alone after her ran into her, but it was another thing entirely for him to apologize to someone who had publicly called him out on his wrong doings. And he apologized with an audience no less.

"I don't understand him." Lily said. "He's a prat, really he is, but then he does something like this and I just… I don't know. He knows my name. And that may not seem very odd but it is. There are dozens of maids all about the castle, and I didn't know that he took the time to learn our names."

"I'm not going to commend him for learning people's names. He was still bullying that kid yesterday and made me go to the dungeons for telling him to knock it off."

"That's fair." Lily nodded. "I just can't believe that he admitted to being wrong. And in front of some of his knights. Oh, I wish I could have seen it."

"The fact that you're so surprised makes me wary about the state of our kingdom."

"Shh." Lily said, looking over her shoulder. "Do you want to end up in the dungeons again?"

"I'm not going to get thrown in the dungeons for saying that… am I?"

"I don't know, but you can't walk around insulting the royal family like that."

"Right. Well, I should be getting back to Dumbledore. I'll see you round."

"I'm sure you will. Have a nice day."

"You as well." He said.

Lily watched him walk off, but didn't waste much time rushing over to the trolley of walnuts and purchasing a small sack. As she walked towards the stitchery, where she had three gowns to order and another that Bella had asked her to mend herself, she contemplated her previous interactions with Remus.

He seemed to get upset at her apathy she had decided by the time she had reached the second floor and finished off half of her walnuts. She had made droll comments at the execution that had put him off and then she had spoken of the king misusing his power with only warning in her voice. He was new to the city, fresh from a tiny farm town she imagined, and he wasn't used to the ways of the kingdom. Though that didn't make the ways of the kingdom right, Lily thought. She knew that it wasn't right to behead someone without solid evidence, and that a king should not toss people in a cell as flippantly as their king did, but she needed her job and she had seen people leave for far less than insulting the royal family. Her family couldn't afford for Lily to have such thoughts, so she never thought them.

Lily promised herself that she would find a way to explain all of that to Remus and then, having reached the stitchery, pushed open the door and began working again. "Afternoon, Madam Malkin."

"Afternoon, Lily. Have you spoken to Bella about getting me a few more hands in here?"

"I'll ask her as soon as she gets back from her ride." Lily said, setting her walnuts down on a long pine table that was covered in satin, silk, lace, velvet and cotton. Madam Malkin sat at the head of the table, a blue gown draped over her lap as she worked to sew hundreds of different beads to the collar. "Bella will be pleased with that gown."

"This one's not for Bella." The Madam said, weaving the needle expertly through the delicate fabric. She nodded to her right and Lily followed the motion. "Bella's is over there."

Lily walked up to the dress and ran a hand over to laced sleeves. "It's lovely." She whispered.

"Put it on." Madam Malkin said, tying a knot in her thread and biting it in two. She stuck the needle into the strip of fabric she had stuck into her cleavage and was now looking at Lily.

"Why would I put it on?" Lily asked, taken aback.

"Because you and Bella are finally, _mercifully_ , the same size." The seamstress said, quickly. "And because Bella never has time to come and get fitted for her dresses and then complains to me when they don't fit. Stop asking questions and put the dress on." Lily was then all but shoved behind a paper-thin partition.

"I smell like fish." Lily warned, stripping out of her own dress. She hadn't noticed that Bella and her were the same size, but maybe that was because she didn't really know what size she was. All of her dresses were too big because she had just taken them from the bin that Madam Malkin kept in the room for the servant girls who entered the castle with nothing suitable to wear.

"I don't care what you smell like. I'll pour some perfume on the dress if you make it stink. Just hurry up. I've got another dozen dresses to finish up today."

The silk was like water, falling down in waves and pooling on the floor once she pulled it over her head. The sleeves were light and airy on her arms, nothing like the coarse cotton that her dresses were made of. She stepped out from behind the partition and pushed her hair behind her ears.

"Come stand over here." Madam Malkin motioned to a small stool in the corner of the room and then began pulling pins out of her fabric scrape and rushed at Lily. For a moment Lily was afraid that she was going to get pricked, but the Madam's hands knew what they were doing, even when it seemed that she wasn't watching them. She pulled up the fabric here and folded it over here, cinched it there. Lily watched, thinking of her own clumsy fingers and the amount of time something like this would take her. Though, there was a reason that Madam Malkin was the most sought after seamstress in Camelot and Lily was a maid.

There was a sudden rap on the door and Madam Malkin let out a sigh, a pin falling from between her lips. She huffed and bent down to pick it up. "Come in." She called, still on the ground, searching for the thin metal.

"I've come to pick up my- Lily?" Lily looked over and was astonished to see, for the second time that day, James Potter. "What are you doing in here?" He looked around the room, checking to see that he had entered the right room. Due to the placement of the table, he could not see Madam Malkin crouched down, still looking for her pin.

"Well- I- Umm-" Lily shook her head and cursed herself to hell. He had to think that she was playing with Bella's dresses, that she had sneaked off to try them on and play at being royalty. "It's not-"

"What do you need, Sir?" Madam Malkin stood up, stuffing the pin back into place. James looked as though he was at a loss for words and stood in the doorway with his mouth slightly ajar. "Sir?" She repeated. Lily felt herself blush and looked down at the floor. What if he told Bella? Lily knew that she wasn't doing anything wrong, but that didn't mean that Bella would be alright with Lily wearing her clothes.

"I-" He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "I came to pick up my dress clothes."

"Of course." The Madam stalked off to a smaller room at the back of the stitchery and began digging through a bundle of orders. Lily stood awkwardly on the stool, and James in the doorway.

"We're the same size." She blurted out, not sure when she had given her mouth permission to let any words come out, let alone ones that didn't make any sense. She saw James' forehead crinkle in confusion. She took a deep breath and forced herself to explain. "Bella and I are the same size. She thinks fittings are tedious so Madam Malkin asked me to stand in for her." And then, because she forgot, "Your highness." Her curtsy was awkward, weary of moving too much for fear of getting poked or losing her balance and falling off the stool.

"Ah." James nodded, smiling now. "Well, I wouldn't let Bella see you in that. She'd never wear it," Lily looked down, blushing even more. There was nothing like a quick gab to knock you down a few pegs- "Not knowing that she couldn't hope to look as beautiful as you do in it."

Lily mouth opened, but any response that she might have had to that died in her throat. Luckily, Madam Malkin walked out of the back room with a deep red cloak and dress coat. "Here are you dress clothes, my lord."

"Thank you very much Madam. Have a good day, ladies." Before he turned to leave, he sent Lily a wink.

oOoOo

Sirius Black was not what one would call a good man. Though, strictly speaking, he was no exactly a bad man either. He spent most of his time in taverns conning men of questionable moral character out of their hard-earned money and then spending it on alcohol and women. To be fair, Sirius Black did not often have to spend any of his ill-gotten money to get women. They usually threw themselves at him because Sirius Black was that type of man.

He had a strong jaw line, a long thin nose, a crooked smile that made people go weak at the knees, mysterious grey eyes that always appeared to be looking through you and wind swept hair that he liked to let cover half his face. In short, he was an extremely attractive man.

At the moment however, Sirius Black was an extremely drunk man. After having spent most of the afternoon hustling men at sword fights and archery contests, he had earned himself a fair bit of money. More than he usually did anyhow and that meant that he was probably going to have to leave tomorrow. The men he bested did not like him to stick around very long, nor did they like to lose more than once against him. Moreover, once everyone learned that they couldn't beat him, he had no way to earn any money. Every so often, one or two of them would get cocky or drunk and ask for a rematch, which Sirius would always agree to, and then they would lose even more money and get angrier. It was a vicious cycle. He could have gone out and got himself a real job, but he fancied himself more the nomadic type and didn't see the appeal in settling down in one place.

So yes, he would have to leave tomorrow. He would have to get on a horse (not his own of course, he couldn't possibly keep a horse) and ride into another town.

"Mr. Black?" The innkeeper behind the bar leaned her head down so that it was closer to his. She had dark brown hair and eyes to match. If she had been a few years younger, Sirius would have called her beautiful. "Are you going to be alright?" She had most likely asked this because Sirius had not moved properly for almost an entire hour. He had his head resting on a limp arm that lay across the bar and his feet kicked up onto the empty stool beside him. There was a single candle lit in the room, because Sirius and the barmaid were the last two left in the tavern. Everyone else had stumbled out almost an hour ago.

"What a question, m'lady." Sirius said. He let out a yawn and sat up, stretching out his limbs, but keeping his eyes locked on the flickering candle. "But I've got one for you as well. Are any of us going to be alright?"

"Excuse me?" The older woman asked collecting some empty mugs at the end of the bar and dumping them in a washtub. "I should think so. Besides, I'm not the one drunk out of my mind thank you very much."

"In the end I mean," He said, slurring his words slightly. He moved to touch the dancing flame with his fingers, but the barmaid walked over and moved the candle out of his reach. His eyes snapped away from the flame and found her face. It was tired and worn and Sirius felt bad for keeping her so late, but not bad enough to actually leave quite yet. "We're all going to die," He said, looking her right in the eyes. "So are any of us really going to be alright?"

"If we're honest and true," She said with a pointed look at the drunken man before her. "God will let us into heaven, son. If we're good, we get to go to heaven." Sirius was quiet for a moment, as he thought about this. He then sighed and brought his fist up to rest his chin on.

"So I'm damned then?" He asked, more curious than anything else. "I haven't been honest or true a day in my life. And I'm most definitely not good."

"God can forgive all." She said, picking up his empty mug and refilling it. "If you ask, he can forgive you."

"I never asked for a refill." Sirius said, taking the mug from her anyway. He took a long, slow drink and let the warm liquid work its magic on his body. He felt his toes and fingertips start to tingle and his head was swimming in a clouded fog that got thicker with every swallow.

"That one's on the house." She said, grabbing a rag and wiping down the bar. "You've got me feeling all sorry for you now, you poor, drunken fool."

"What's your name?" Sirius asked. Then with as much sincerity as he could muster he added, "I've been to a lot of bars, but I think you're one of the nicest barmaids I've ever met. Giving me free drinks and all that."

"I'd thank you kindly if you weren't so drunk, lad." She smiled. "The names Emmaline, and you?"

"It's Sirius." He said waving it away as if it was some sort of distraction. "Emmaline… that's an unusual name." The barmaid nodded. "Very pretty too." She blushed. They always blushed. "Have you got another name, Emmaline?"

"Vance. It's Emmaline Vance."

"I thought as much."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You've got a cousin up in Lorkeep, no? Doe- I mean Dorcas Meadows."

"How do you know Dory?"

"I met her in Lorkeep."

"Well how did you know about me then?" Emmaline had her hands on her hips. "She doesn't just jab about me to strangers. I'm not the type that anyone brags about, working in a bar and all. The profession doesn't garner much respect in my family."

"It should. Anyway, I know of your family." Sirius said with another yawn. "I am a Black."

"Right," She put the rag down and looked at him skeptically, hands finding her hips. "Are you really though? I mean, you look the part, but Blacks don't normally hang about pubs like this one. They think they're better than most of the folk that come in here."

"And the Vance's don't?" He asked, raising a sharp brow and cracking a grin. Emmaline shrugged, avoiding eye contact now.

"Me and my family have had our disagreements, and now I'm here. I think that tells you all you need to know."

Sirius nodded languidly. "S'fair. I'm not your typical Black though, am I? I'd like to think of myself as a decent person."

"I've seen you rob more than a dozen men today. And didn't you just tell me not five minutes ago that you've never been honest and true a day in your life?"

"I did." He smirked. "I suppose your right. I'm not a decent person. But I didn't rob those men, those were fair wagers."

"You knew you were going to win." Emmaline said.

"I didn't know that I would win. Though, I did assume as much." He allowed.

"So are you a typical Black then?" She asked, her head tilted to the side. He closed his eyes for a moment and that's all it took for him to see the flashes of angry faces, hear the shouting that had chased him out of his home. He was no longer in the pub, but kneeling in a pool of blood holding onto a limp hand, hoping against hope that he could just take it back, that he could will this nightmare to be over-

Emmaline coughed and when his eyes opened, he back in the pub. His knuckles were white from gripping his mug and he pushed it across the bar, no longer feeling the need to drink.

"Apparently." He said bitterly. "I'm better looking though." Emmaline clicked her tongue.

"I'm not so sure."

"Oh come now, Emma. At least let me have that." Her lips turned up at the corners and she sighed.

"You're not half bad for a damned man, how's that?"

"That'll do, Emma." Sirius grinned. "I suppose that'll have to do."

oOoOo

"Put on something nice and meet me in the Great Hall."

Remus didn't have anything nice to wear, but those were the instruction that Dumbledore had given him. Put on something nice. The words replayed in his head over and over as he lorded over his bed where he had laid out his three shirts, two pairs of trousers and only pair of shoes. He supposed that his white shirt and black trousers were his _nicest_ clothes. And if he wore his red scarf then that would cover up the stain on his collar. Then he would brush his hair to the side and hope that he looked suitable enough for whatever Dumbledore wanted him to do.

After he got dressed and caught a look of his reflection in a darkened window on the way down to the Great Hall, Remus decided to invest in some proper dress clothes when he found himself a job.

When he reached the Great Hall, Dumbledore was already there, standing off to the side with an elderly woman who Remus had yet to meet. Dumbledore noticed his arrival and waved him over. Self-consciously, Remus reached up to flatten his neatly parted hair before walking up to the Physician.

"And this is the boy I was telling you about Minerva." He said, smiling brightly at Remus. "His mother was a good friend of mine, you remember Hope Howell. This is her son, Remus Lupin."

"Yes of course." The woman named Minerva said with a tight-lipped smile. "Your mother was a very kind woman. Minerva McGonagall."

"She still is." Remus said, extending his hand to the woman, who nodded her head in approval and shook it. "It's nice to meet you, Minerva."

"You as well, Remus." The woman said. Then she turned back to Dumbledore. "I'm awfully excited for the performance." She said nodding her head towards the great oak doors that led to the dining hall. "She's said to be one of the greatest singers in all of England."

"Yes. And I'm looking forward to the pudding. The castle cooks make some wonderful puddings." Remus grinned and Minerva, clearly used to Dumbledore's oddities, nodded curtly.

"I'm sure the pudding with be sublime." She said.

A few moments later, the doors were opened and the three of them, along with another dozen people who had been waiting, entered the hall. The ceilings were either not there, or glass, but Remus couldn't tell. There were great chandlers hanging above each of the four long tables that ran vertically across the room. On the other side of the room, there was a raised platform with one long table, running the opposite direction as the other four, and this table had grand chairs instead of benches, and only on the far side. Remus assumed that was where the Royal family sat, and started after Dumbledore towards the front of the second table.

"Remus?" A voice called out from behind him.

"Hullo." He said, turning around to greet Lily. He wasn't sure what to think of this girl yet. She was by far the friendliest maid he had met in the castle so far, but he was still upset about her reaction to yesterday's execution and the way she generally referred to the Kingdom.

"Aren't you excited? You're first royal dinner!" She said, smiling brightly. "I remember my first dinner. Of course, I spent most of the night feeling guilty because my family couldn't come with me and they didn't get to eat any of the food. I had nothing to worry over though, I went to the cook afterward and she gave me some to take home to them."

"That's very kind of her."

"I thought so. Though, fair warning, I wouldn't go into the kitchens unless explicitly told to do so. She's kind only sometimes. Most of the time she yells and throws things at people."

"Whatever it takes to run things smoothly I suppose."

"I suppose." She stuck her jaw out and pursed her lips. "Have I done something wrong?"

"What? No. Why would you think that?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't press the subject. He didn't like lying, but he didn't like confrontation more. Nor did he want to upset the only potential friend he had here.

"Well, I got the feeling that you didn't like to talk much when you first got here, but… You're acting cold towards me."

"I didn't mean to." Remus said quickly and almost honestly.

"Don't lie." Lily said. "What is it?" Remus sighed and looked around. They were still standing and nearly everyone else had taken a seat. If they didn't sit down soon, they would have to stand.

"Now isn't the time." He said. "And it's nothing."

"We'll talk later then." Lily said, pulling a ribbon out of her hair and letting it fall down her back. "Yes?"

"Yes, alright." He agreed. Lily took a few steps towards a bench. "Wait, Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Do I look alright? I mean," He bit his lip and looked down. "Am I dressed appropriately?" Lily giggled.

"Remus, you look fine. I still smell like fish from being in the market this morning. At least your clothes are clean. _And_ you got to comb your hair. I haven't done that in a week." She brushed some stray strands behind her ears to make her point. Remus nodded.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She said. "Now, come on. We don't want to get stuck without seats." She grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him to the front of the table.

They were not the last to take their seats of course, though they had come close. After they had sat down (almost directly in front of the royal families table much to Lily's satisfaction,) the king, the prince and Lady Bellatrix entered the room. Everyone stood until they reached their seats and sat down. Then, once everyone was seated again, the king stood up and greeted everyone. Remus got a very different feeling while listening to him speak now than he did yesterday in the courtyard. It was almost as if the king was a completely different person. He was smiling for one thing, which made him look much kinder.

"Good evening, my good people. I would like to welcome you all to tonight's fine meal. Not only will we be dinning on the best food that Camelot has to offer, food that my son had a hand in catching," He nodded in James's direction and the prince put up a hand as the hall clapped to show their appreciation. "But we will also be enjoying the exceptionally talented voice of England's best; Lady Celestina Warbeck!" He motioned to the back of the room where the doors had been thrown open to reveal an attractive young woman dressed in stately clothes and fine jewels.

The room broke into applause and Celestina bowed and tittered happily. "Thank you." She cooed. "Thank you all ever so much. It is my greatest pleasure to perform for you all tonight."

"She's amazing." Lily whispered quietly in Remus's ear. "She came last year for Bellatrix's birthday, and I was in awe."

"What's the occasion this time?" Remus asked, not having heard about any royal birthdays.

"Oh, this isn't really an occasion so much as the king heard she would be passing through Camelot and asked her to sing."

"Let us all enjoy a song or two before our meal." The king said, his smile wide and bright. Celestina matched his look of delight and nodded in agreement. "Whenever you are ready, my lady." The king gave her a small bow and then sat down, giving her the floor.

There was a moment of silent anticipation while Celestina bowed her head. Suddenly the room was filled with a soft melodic voice. The notes came out long and full and slow. The pitch rose and fell in a hypnotic, riveting way leaving the entire room instantly captivated by the beautiful music.

Remus felt completely content listening to the woman sing. He had never before heard anyone sing this well. There was one girl back in his home village who could sing fairly well, but she had nothing on Celestina. Celestina was beautiful and her voice, even more so. He could hardly think of anything at all except for the sounds emanating from her small, lovely mouth. He felt warm and comfortable and he was only just aware of the fact that he was swaying slightly to the rhythm of the song.

He was jerked out of his trance like state when he felt Lily's head fall onto his shoulder. He looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep. Remus momentarily wondered how anyone could fall asleep during such an awe-inspiring performance, but then he realized that he was rather tired himself. He looked around the room and noticed that Lily was not the only one who had succumbed to sleep. He looked to his right and saw Dumbledore and Minerva sleeping against one another. On the other side of the room, the couple of guards that were standing watch at the door had fallen asleep against the wall. Remus raked his gaze up and down the four tables before coming to the conclusion that he was the only person, apart from Celestina, who was still awake.

With the good feeling completely gone, Remus jumped up from his seat, causing Lily's head to fall onto the table. He looked up at the singer and saw that she was zoned in entirely on the prince, it was as if she and James were the only two in the room. She had not noticed that Remus was still awake, but she didn't seem at all surprised that everyone around her had fallen asleep. Remus reached up and covered his ears as quickly as he could. As soon as he could no longer hear the song that Celestina was singing, his head felt normal again.

"What are you doing?" Remus shouted. Celestina ignored him however, or maybe she didn't hear him, and continued walking toward the sleeping prince who was completely defenseless. She never took her eyes off him as she reached into her gown and pulled out a long, thin dagger. Celestina drew back her arm, her sleeping song still filling the room, and Remus knew what was going to happen. He knew that this entire performance had been set up to harm the prince and that if he didn't do anything about it, Prince James would die in his sleep. She drew back her arm, and Remus knew what was going to happen before his mind had fully caught up with the singer's actions, and more importantly, he knew what he was going to do before he even started to move.

Celestina's arm started to sling forward and everything around Remus started to move in slow motion. He could feel the magic in him, coursing through his entire body. The note that Celestina was singing got lower in pitch, her throw that would surely kill James almost completely stopped. Remus got up and started for the royal table, walking at a normal pace through the mass of sleeping people. He reached the Prince and grabbed him under his arms, pulling him from his chair and onto the ground. As soon as James was out of harm's way, Remus stopped using magic, though he couldn't tell you how, and the dagger flew from Celestina's hand, whirred through the air and sank into the top of the chair where James's head had been only seconds before.

Celestina screamed in outrage causing everyone to wake with a start.

"What the-" James pushed himself up off the ground, into a sitting position, and looked around his eyes landing on Remus. Before anyone could work out what had happened, a dozen knights had stood from their tables and drawn their swords. Remus put his hands up to show that he meant no harm. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked. Then he spun back around, looking at Celestina, who was glaring at him viscously. "Why did you knock me off my chair?" He asked, turning back to Remus.

The king had been looking around while his son was trying to work out how he had ended up on the floor at Remus's feet. He saw that angry woman standing before them, the dagger in his son's chair and the red-faced boy standing beside his son and he had figured things out for himself.

"You save my son's life." He said quietly, looking at Remus in a way that he had never been looked at before. The gratitude that shown through the king's eyes was enough to make Remus's ears go red, but the king said no more, he just looked at Remus, waiting for him to speak.

Remus reached down to help James up. "Well, everyone was asleep." Remus said quickly thinking that, maybe just maybe, the king had saw something or just knew that Remus had used magic. "I'm sorry I shoved you, but I didn't know what else to do." James let out a dry laugh and took his hand, letting Remus pull him up off the ground.

"Well, I'm glad you did." He said, eyeing the dagger warily.

"Guards!" King Charles called. The guards that had been stationed at the ends of the tables and the doors stepped forward. "Arrest that woman."

"You were lucky!" Celestina shouted. "You were so lucky!" She screamed again in frustration. "He should have died! You do not deserve him! You took my son away and then you throw a party! You rejoice in the death of an innocent man! I will take your son from you, if it's the last thing I do! I will take him from you!" She reached up and clapped her hands together over her head and disappeared before the guards could capture her with a loud 'crack'.

"A witch!" The king called out unnecessarily, completely flabbergasted. "She was a witch!"

"Of course she was, dad. Why do you think we all fell asleep?" James said. Remus laughed, but tried to disguise it as a cough. James grinned at him.

"What's your name boy?"

"This is Remus." James said, clapping Remus on the back. "We met yesterday. He's new to Camelot."

"I am. I arrived yesterday morning." Remus said. Then he stretched his hand out toward the King. "I'm Remus Lupin, your majesty." The king eyed his hand for a moment and then looked up at Remus who felt his cheeks burning this time, and quickly put his hand back down at his side. He saw James smirking at him out of the corner of his eye.

"You shall be rewarded, Remus." The king said. Before Remus could dispute him, he turned to James and said, "You still need a new man servant, yes?"

James' smiled dropped from his face. "I do, but father-"

"Remus, you will be James' man servant. The kingdom owes you a great debt, young man." Remus and James both looked at the king with dumbfounded expressions. The king didn't pay them any attention however because he was now nodding to the applauding room.

* * *

 **AN: And there is chapter two. I hope you love it. Or like it. I also hope you leave a review. Reviews... well, they're the shit. I love them.**

 **I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for all the positive feedback I've been getting, I'm glad most of you seem to be enjoying this story and the way that I've been characterizing everyone. I hope I don't let you down.**


	3. Of Tall Tales and a Fear of Horses

_**The mighty will fall with or without love, but with love they will have the strength to climb higher.**_

 _~Unknown_

 **Chapter Three: Tall Tales and a Fear of Horses**

Following the evening that the king had appointed Remus as James' manservant, neither of the two boys knew how to act around one another. Remus would show up every morning with James' breakfast, he would lay out a fresh set of clothes and help him get his armor on when he had to go to training. He would do the prince's laundry, bring him lunch, clean his armor, shine his shoes, make his bed, ready his bath, grind his blade, everything that he was expected to do as the princes manservant, he did. And he did so without complaining. He also did it without speaking if he could help it. When he was forced to speak, he did so only in short, polite statements and using a tone that implied that he'd much rather be gouging out his own eyeballs. Or at least that's what he was going for.

Remus had made a big deal out of James being a prat only the day before he was named his manservant. He had publically challenged him and was then thrown into a cell for it. Now he was working directly under him. He wasn't sure if he was embarrassed about the turn of events, or simply angry. James had apologized, but that hadn't really changed Remus's opinion of him. He still didn't want to be Prince James' servant. He didn't want to have to spend almost every waking moment he had in the prince's company. He did not like the Prince, and he did not want to have to pretend he did.

James hadn't been acting as though he noticed Remus being short with him, but the other servants throughout the castle had noticed, and they were returning the favor by being short with Remus. He had to work out how to do almost everything on his own. Lily was the only one who helped him, but she was so busy serving Lady Bellatrix that she didn't often have time to show him round the castle.

James was having different problems. He also didn't know how to act around Remus but this was because he didn't know why his father thought that a suitable reward for saving James' life was to become a servant. He felt like he should be indebted to Remus, not telling him to polish his armor. It was all very backward for him, juggling what he felt he should do and what was expected of him. Remus was a commoner, and James was royal. Being a servant to a royal might very well be a reward for someone like Remus. James just had a feeling that Remus didn't feel that way.

He was right. And Remus could tell that James felt awkward around him. That was the only solace he got out of this job, knowing that he made James uncomfortable.

"I'm just saying," Lily sighed, as her and Remus walked to the kitchens with Bella and James' used dishes. "You should be a bit more grateful. Do you know how many people want to have your job? Would _kill_ to have your job?" It had been three weeks since Remus had saved James' life and been forced into the job. And Lily was still trying to show him that this new job was a good thing, something he should be happy about.

"I know that it's a desirable job for a lot of people," Remus sighed, quite tired of repeating the same conversation all the time. He and Lily had become rather close over the last few weeks. She hadn't only shown him as much of the castle as she had time for, but she'd also invited him over for dinner a few times and showed him around town after both of them were relieved of their duties for the night. He was glad that he had given her a chance, because the more they talked, the more he liked her. Lily was carefree, charming and friendly, always willing to lend a hand or time that she didn't have. "I just wish that I didn't have it. I would much rather be helping Dumbledore with medicines or, heck, I'd even prefer to be the stable boy."

"You don't mean that." Lily said with a grin. "Because even if you don't like the Prince, you know the job isn't all that bad. Plus, you don't like horses."

"Not all that bad, eh?" He mocked, ignoring her comment about the horses. "We have to be on call at all hours of the day and we have to be ready to do whatever they want us to do. I had to go hunting with James and some knights the other day and do you know what they made me do?"

"Well, yes. You've told me."

"They made me carry all the game back to the castle." He said, shaking his head. "That was about six rabbits, four pheasants _and a deer_. Not one of them offered to help me!"

"So you've said." Lily sighed. They had reached the kitchens and she bumped the door open with her hip and both of them hurried inside. "You should still be proud of yourself."

"Why?" Remus scoffed.

"Because you got the job a day after moving here. That's fairly impressive."

"I got the job because I saved the prats life." Remus said. "And if he looks at the armor I've shinned with that stupid 'you-could-have-done-better' look on his face one more time, I'm going to start regretting that I did that." Lily laughed and dropped Bella's dishes into the large basin. Remus did the same with James'.

"Alright," Lily said, grabbing two rolls out of a basket on the counter and handing one to Remus. "I'll stop trying to get you to like your job. Let's talk about something else."

"I can complain all day, we don't need to change the subject." Remus grinned, taking a large bite out of his roll. "The food though." He said, not bothering to swallow first. "The food might make up for everything."

"It might." Lily agreed. When they were out of the kitchen she turned to Remus and sighed. "Well, I've got to be off. I've got three dresses to fix up and new shoes to buy."

"For you or Bella?"

"Like I can afford new shoes." Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Bella. And she needs a new saddle or something because whenever she comes back from riding, she has a tear in her dress. Which is why I have three to mend."

"I'd talk to whoever is in charge of that then."

"I'll get around to it eventually." Lily said. "But between all of the things I have to do and listening to you complain, I just don't have any time." She was smirking.

"Oh very funny." Remus said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can do it for you if you'd like. James is training some new knights and he doesn't need me for part of the afternoon. I'll do it then."

"You don't have to." Lily said, shaking her head. "I'll find time later."

"I know that, but I'll do it anyway." She looked down at the floor and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"That would be lovely. Thank you, Remus."

"What are friends for?" He asked. And they both went their separate ways.

oOoOo

"I'm not calling you a liar," Amos said, looking as though he was indeed calling someone a liar. "I'm just saying that I don't believe that he exists." The knights were gathered on the training grounds getting ready to start training the new recruits. Arden Weasley had brought up, yet again, Lancelot, a mysterious and almost mythical man who everyone knew about but no one had actually met. James thought the idea of such a man was impossible, but the stories were entertaining and he was fun to talk about every now and then. Lately however, Arden had been brining Lancelot up quite a bit more than usual and that was because there had been a lot of new stories circulating around the mysterious man.

"Just because you've never met him." Arden muttered. "You can't ever just have faith in something, can you?"

"Why are you so hung up on this man?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, Ardy." Fabian Prewett laughed. "If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you might fancy the bloke." They here standing around the front gate that blocked the training grounds off from the castle grounds. Fabian was sitting atop the fence an apple in hand and a look of mischief on his face. Ever since Molly Prewett had married Arden's brother Arthur, Fabian and Gideon, Molly's elder twin brothers, had taken it upon themselves to treat Arden like family. Which consisted of them relentlessly teasing him.

"It's a good thing you know me better then." Arden said, glaring at him. He thought about giving the older, much larger knight a shove, but then gripped the hilt of his sword instead. "And how can none of you believe in this man? So many people are talking about him, and so many have seen him. What makes him so implausible?"

"Let's see, shall we?" James asked, leaning back on the fence and crossing his arms. "I've had a family of farmers come up and report to me that Lancelot visited them and they told me that he was eight feet tall, rode a white horse faster than lightening, and had a sword made of pure gold." The knights all laughed. "I've had another family tell me that he's actually a woman. Some man in the tavern the other night told me that he heard Lancelot was part dragon. Can you see why I'm a bit skeptical?"

"People are stupid. Especially people in taverns, I can attest to that first hand." Arden said, waving his words away and causing a few laughs. "Besides, that guy from the tavern, Wallace, he thinks everyone is part dragon so he doesn't count."

"We've upset him now." Amos cooed, reaching out to pinch one of Arden's cheeks. "Poor wittle boy."

"Shove off." Arden said. "Or I'll embarrass you in front of the recruits again." Amos scowled.

"I don't know if all the stories are true," Frank said, everyone turned to listen to him. "Actually, I know that not all the stories are true, but there is someone out there helping people. You remember that woman we found at the gates the other day. She said a man had saved her life from bandits and then gave her a ride to the city walls. And that's not the only report we've had of people being saved by a mysterious man wearing a crest with only an 'L' on it."

"Yes," James said, "But this 'mystery man' isn't necessarily Arden's Lancelot."

"Of course they are the same person." Arden snapped. "Besides, that woman _said_ that it was Lancelot who had saved her."

"But no one has actually seen him." Amos said. "I mean his face. Everyone says that he wears a helmet at all times. How would she know who he was?"

"Because he told her who he was." Arden said dryly. "Honestly."

"But no one's ever seen him." Amos repeated. "Why do you think that is?"

"Maybe he's horribly disfigured." James suggested. "You know, he's afraid that people would rather die than be rescued by him." Fabian laughed loudly, at the look on Arden's face, or James' comment, the prince wasn't sure.

"Or maybe," Remus said, walking up at just that moment with James' sword and shield. "He doesn't need all the glory you lot do to do a good deed. Maybe he doesn't need people to know who he is or what he looks like."

"And here comes Remus, bringing cheer to our day." Amos muttered. "Hey there, mate." Remus nodded curtly at Amos.

"I like his theory better than James." Arden picked up his own shield from the ground and straightened his belt.

"Thanks for bringing these down." James said politely. "I don't know how I forgot them."

"It's my job to do as you ask." Remus said dryly. "Will that be all?"

"Yes. You may go now."

As Remus walked away, James heard his knights whispering to themselves, but he ignored them. He knew that he let Remus get away with many things that he shouldn't. He knew that when Remus spoke out like that people expected him to tell him off for it. But he didn't. James wanted Remus to like him. He wanted to make amends for whatever slights he had caused Remus, and become friends with him. It had taken him a while to work out why he wanted this to happen though. All of James' current friends thought the world of him, and he liked it that way.

At first he thought it was because Remus was close with Bella's servant girl, Lily. And James may or may not have, but definitely has, taken a slight fancy to her. But he dismissed this quickly. He didn't need any help getting closer to Lily.

Then he thought that it was because Remus wasn't from Camelot and that was sort of interesting. James had met people from other kingdoms of course, but he can't honestly call any of them close friends. But that wasn't it either.

No, it was something else entirely and when James first had the thought, he was surprised to find that he wasn't all that surprised. He wanted to be friends with Remus, because if he was, then he would know that Remus was his friend because he wanted to be. Remus would like him for who he was, not for what he was or what his title was. And that idea was very appealing to James. He had always had everything handed to him, people weren't allowed to treat him with anything but respect and kindness, but Remus didn't listen to that rule for some reason and James was actually grateful for that.

"Do you think he was right?" Frank asked, stepping away from the group. "The mystery rider, or Lancelot, do you think he's not showing his face because he doesn't want the credit? Because he just wants to help people?"

"I don't know, Frank." James said. "I think we should just be glad that the people have someone out there to help them."

"Isn't that our job though?" Amos asked.

"Yeah, he's sort of making us look like gits." Fabian agreed.

"It's not a hard thing to accomplish." James shrugged, shoving Fabian's shoulder. "And you're more than welcome to take a few watch shifts every now and then if you think you're up to it."

"The watch shifts are for the recruits." Fabian said, nodding his head towards the men who had lined up on the field.

"And maybe that's the reason Lancelot decided that he needed to step in and help." James said. "From now on, I want at least one seasoned Knight going with the recruits for every shift."

"I'll make the assignments." Frank said.

"Good. Now let's start training them." James said, walking towards the field.

oOoOo

Remus was still grinding his teeth when he finally made it to the stables, which just happened to be on the opposite side of the castle when one is coming from the training grounds.

Who goes to a training session, that they are running, and forgets to bring anything useful? Who forgets to bring their sword, at the very least, when they are going to be sparing with a dozen or so new recruits? An idiot, Remus thought, that's who. And then, when Remus finally managed to gather James' things and get back down to the field, him and his knights are ignoring the recruits (not that James could have done much more than talk to them without any of his gear.) No, instead of doing their jobs, they are making fun of a man who has been helping the people of _their_ city quite a lot. It infuriated him.

When he got to the stables, he paused for a moment in the doorway to take a deep breath. He had only been here a couple of times because, even though he was James' servant, it wasn't his job to do anything with the horses. The stable boy was set with the tasks of cleaning, watering, and feeding the horses. It was even his job to bring the horses out to the Prince upon Remus's request. And Remus was very grateful for this because he was dreadful with animals. He had only had to ride a horse twice in his lifetime and he had fallen off once, and he claimed to have fallen off the second time as well, though in all honesty, he jumped from the horse willingly. It was just something about them that made him feel uneasy.

"Hullo!" Remus called, walking along the right side of the stables as to stay as far away from the stalls as he could. The large animals inspected him as he walked past their stalls. Huffing out air, stomping their hooves on the ground, twitching their ears. Remus took another deep breath and then called out again, "Anyone here?"

"One minutes!" Someone called from within one of the stalls. Remus stayed where he was, a safe distance away from the opened stall. "Just a moment please."

"Of course." Remus called back. He leant up against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He tried to appear completely at ease, even though there was no real reason for him to be putting on a show. There was no one around to see him, apart from the horses. His mother had told him once that pretending you weren't afraid was the first step to making it the truth. She believed that if you pretended long enough, then you might start to believe the lie. Remus wasn't _afraid_ of course. The horses were just large and intimidating. But he wasn't _afraid._ Just… uncomfortable.

Soon enough, a blond haired boy with dull blue eyes and a round face walked out of one of the horses stalls and grabbed a hand towel off a shelf. "Hullo." He said, looking down at his feet as he spoke. He seemed more nervous than Remus was, though he doubted that it was because of the horses. "What can I do for you?"

"My name is Remus and I'm here on behalf of Lily, Lady Bellatrix's servant."

"Yes, I know Lily. She's very kind." He said quickly, still talking to his left shoe.

"Yes," Remus said, tilting his head curiously. "She is. Anyway, she wants you or someone down here to take a look at Lady Bellatrix's saddle. Lily thinks there might be something lodged into the saddle causing Lady Bellatrix's dresses to tear while she rides."

"I can pull out her saddle right now if you'd like." The man said, peering up at Remus briefly.

"Oh," Remus said, a bit taken back. He hadn't really been expecting to help with this, just inform someone of the problem. "Sure. That would be great."

"One minute then. I'll just go and get it." He walked down the stable and then turned right. He returned a moment later, clumsily carrying a large leather saddle. "I don't know what could be causing her dresses to tear." He said, setting it down on a wooden beam a few feet away from Remus. "It's the highest quality saddle you can get in Camelot. Or anywhere else for that matter. Old man Kettleburn makes them all himself. Oh, and my name is Peter. Peter Pettigrew."

"It's nice to meet you Peter. And I think I've met him." Remus said, thinking back to an interaction he had with a man in the market who was missing half his fingers on both hands. "Isn't he the man that tries to sell weasels and rabbits as household pets?"

"He's sort of eccentric." Peter shrugged, now wringing his fingers. "But he's a good man. And doubly good at making saddles. He gets the leather from a farmer on the outskirts of the city."

"Well, let's just have a look at it anyway." Remus said.

"Yeah, alright." Peter said. He ducked down so his face was closer to the saddle and started looking at it inch by inch. After a few moments of silence, he stood back up and pointed to a spot on the saddle. "I don't know how it happened, but there's some stone lodged into the leather right here." Remus looked at the spot he was pointing at and nodded.

"That would do it." He said. "Thanks for your help."

"Wait!" He shouted, just as Remus had turned to walk away. Remus turned back around, startled at the outburst. "Sorry." His voice was meek again, "But I don't think I've seen you around here before. Are you new?"

"I've been here for about three weeks, so yeah, I'm new." He said. "And I try not to come down here much."

"Why?" Peter asked. "All the servants try and come down here as much as they can. They don't have to do anything here."

"How did you know I was a servant?" Remus asked, eyeing the man wearily.

"I-I just assumed." Peter stuttered. "I mean, everyone's been talking about you, and you said three weeks. That makes you the Princes' servant, no?"

"Unfortunately. What have people been saying?"

"Oh, n-nothing."

"Peter," Remus said sharply. He felt slightly bad for taking advantage of the man's clear discomfort, especially when he wasn't known for being confident around people himself, but he was curious to know what people had been saying. They didn't suspect anything, did they? He had only used magic a couple of times, and aside from saving James' life, he had only used it in his room. They couldn't know. "What have they been saying?"

"Nothing bad." He said quickly. "Only how you're not like other servants. You don't talk to them much and you don't treat the Prince how you're supposed to."

"I talk to them plenty! They're the ones that don't want to talk to me!"

"Well that's only because they're worried that you're going to get them into trouble." He didn't know why this surprised him so much. He had been expecting as much. But hearing someone say it, that people who worked in the castle _were_ avoiding him, it stung.

"Why would they get into trouble for talking to me?"

"They're afraid that _you're_ going to get into trouble." Peter said, reverting back to looking at his shoes. "And that they'll get into trouble for not… fixing you."

" _Fixing me?_ There's nothing to fix."

"I didn't say there was." Peter said quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you."

Remus took a deep breath. "I know." He said calmly. "I know, I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's alright. Most people do." Remus didn't know how to respond to that, but it made him feel worse for having lost his temper.

"Lily hasn't said anything." Remus sighed, leaning back up against the wall. "Why wouldn't she say anything?"

"She too nice." Peter said. "She probably didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"Probably." Remus agreed. "Well, I should get going. I've got to go find someone who sells burlap hunting bags and run about a million other errands for the Prince. It was nice meeting you, Peter."

"Sir Malfoy gets his burlap bags from Madam Malkin. She makes clothes too, mostly dress clothes up in the castle, but she makes burlap bags. Her husband hunts a lot. That's probably why. Her sister, Edna, sells them at her cart in the market."

"Do you know everyone in the city?" Remus laughed.

"Well, I know a lot of people. This is the only stable in the city, everyone comes here at one point or another. Mostly the nobles, but other people come here too."

"I guess that's a way to make friends." Remus shrugged.

"They're not my friends." Peter corrected him quickly. "I just know them all. I listen."

Remus was now a bit uncomfortable and it had nothing to do with the horses. "Well," He said, scratching the back of his head with his hand. "I'm new here. I don't have many friends, just Lily so-"

"You don't need to do that." Peter interrupted. "You don't need to be my friend. Thank you for talking to me. It was nice to meet you, Remus." He stuck out his hand and looked him in the eyes, something he hadn't done the entire time they had talked.

"It was nice to meet you too, Peter. I'll see you around."

"But hopefully not." Remus looked taken aback and Peter seemed to realize that he had said something that sounded offensive and brought his hand to his forehead. "Because of the horses. I meant because you don't like horses and I work in the stables. You don't want to come down here much."

"Right." Remus smiled. "You're pretty perceptive. I never told you I didn't like horses."

"You don't hide it very well." Peter smiled back wearily.

"See you round."

"See you."

oOoOo

James had sent the recruits home and his knights had all left to take baths, eat, or in Arden's case, head to the tavern. James was still on the training field however and he was wishing that he would have thought to ask one of them to stay behind and train with him a bit longer. He always felt a bit silly waving his sword around at nothing but the air.

James had been trained since birth, to believe that it was his job as prince, to achieve a certain standard of excellence. It was because of this that he held himself more accountable than any of his knights. He worked hard to make sure that he was always able to best his knights, that there was a reason that he was in charge of training them all. If he was to keep his title as the best knight in Camelot, that meant that he had to train longer than all the others. The final test that the recruits had to pass before the king could swear them in was standing their ground against James for a full minute. It was a test that James took very seriously. He didn't go easy on them. In order to have only the best men, he had to be a worthy opponent.

So, he was still on the field, practicing his foot work, when Remus walked out and stood off to the edge. James didn't notice him for a while, but when he did, he jumped a bit. He hadn't heard him walk up behind him. He masked his surprise as best he could, but judging by the smirk on Remus's face, not well enough.

"How long have you been standing there?" James asked, sheathing his sword and walking up to him.

"About five minutes." Remus replied. "I came down to ask if you needed anything."

"I'm alright at the moment." James said. "Do you know when my dinner will be ready?"

"In half an hour, sir. But if you're hungry now, I can go and fetch you something from the kitchens."

"That won't be necessary." James said. "I can wait."

"Will that be all?"

"That will be all." James nodded. Remus turned to walk away when James had an idea. "Actually," He said with a grin. Remus turned back around slowly and pressed his lips together. "Could you help me with something?"

"That is my job. What do you need help with?"

"I'm sure that you'll agree that I looked slightly foolish out there all by myself. Do you think you could spar with me?"

"Wait… what?" Remus asked, dropping his usual clipped and polite voice he used to talk to James with. "You want me to pick up a sword and-and what? I don't know how to use a sword!" James laughed.

"I'll teach you the basics. Besides, I don't need you to know what you're doing. I just need something to aim for."

"Oh happy days." Remus said sarcastically. "I'm actually rather fond of keeping all my appendages thank you."

"I wouldn't hurt you." James laughed. "I'd be aiming for your sword, not your arms."

"I've helped Dumbledore treat some injuries that the knights get while training-"

"I've never given any of my knights an injury that they needed to see Dumbledore for." James said, holding his right hand up. "I promise."

"So I'll be the first person you maim during training?"

"I'm not going to maim you, Remus. We train with dulled blades. Now come on. Grab that sword there."

Remus still looked a bit weary, but he did as he was told. When both of them had reached the middle of the training field, James turned to face Remus. "Alright, first things first. You're going to want to hold the sword with your- no no no, not like that. Loosen your grip a bit."

"If I loosen my grip, I'll drop it."

"If you hold it that tightly, you're going to restrict your range of motion."

"I've never done this before, I don't currently have a range of motion." James shook his head and sighed.

"Alright, look. We'll start with something easier. I never let my knights hold their swords with two hands because they need to be able to hold a shield while they fight as well as their sword, but we're just going to spar, so grip right here with your right hand, and hold the bottom there with your left. Does that feel any better?"

"A bit." Remus allowed. "But I still don't have any clue what I'm supposed to do. And I feel like a prat."

"You're not a prat. Now spread your feet out a bit, you'll fall over if you keep them that close."

"I have the feeling that I'm going to end up on the ground regardless of how my feet are."

"If you lower your center of gravity and brace yourself, it makes it more difficult for you to be knocked over."

"I know that." Remus said quickly. "I just don't think it's going to matter."

"I'm not going to hit you that hard!"

"Alright, what do I do now?"

"Now you block."

"Right." Remus nodded. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" James was starting to think having Remus out here was less helpful that having no one out here.

"Just get on with it." He sighed. James pulled out his sword and got into his stance. Then, quite slowly, he swung his sword up and hit Remus's with it. Remus squeezed his eyes shut when he heard the resulting clash.

"You can't close your eyes!" James shouted. "I could kill you if you do that!"

"I thought you said that you weren't going to hit me very hard!" Remus cried.

"I'm not- I was just making a point. Keep your eyes open."

"Fine." Remus muttered. "First the stupid horses, now this."

"What?" James laughed.

"Nothing." Remus said loudly. "Let's get this over with, yes?"

"Okay, why don't you actually try to do something this time then?"

"Of course." Remus replied. This time when James swung his sword around, Remus swung his sword forward to meet his. James grinned and swung his sword around the other way, moving a bit faster this time. Remus pulled his foot back and moved to prevent the metal from hitting his arm. "This isn't even fair." He said, as James continued to swing his sword around. "You have armor on, if I hit you, you won't get your arm chopped off."

"And I've already told you the blades are dulled. Do you know how hard I would have to hit you with this sword to chop of your arm?" James said, to which Remus rolled his eyes. " And besides, you're not even swinging at me."

"And there's that too! You have very little chance of getting injured. But I'm not wearing any armor and I haven't ruled out the possibility of injuring myself."

"You're going to be fine, Remus." James said.

"Maybe you should just get one of your Knights to help you."

"You're doing great." James said, hoping to appease him. He actually was rather awful. He was too stiff and he was keeping his feet to close together which was causing him to sway a bit every time their swords collided. "You have a very fast learning curve."

"Thank you." Remus said, still moving like he was in a suit of armor that was slightly too small for him. "But I'd still rather not do this any longer." James sighed and relented. He dropped his sword so that the tip was on the ground and leant on it.

"Fine. That will be all for now." Remus sighed in relief and dropped his sword to the ground. "But I will turn you into a decent swordsman… eventually."

"I highly doubt it."

"I've seen worse." James lied. Well, partially lied. The only people he'd seen who were worse than Remus were all under the age of eight, but he didn't need to add that.

"I doubt that as well." Remus said, seeing right through his lie.

"Well," James ran his free hand through his hair. "I still think I can make you a decent swordsman."

"If you say so." Remus said.

"Come on," James said with a smile. "Let's go and get some dinner now, yeah?"

"Yes of course." Remus shook his head. "You must be starving, sir." He was starting to talk in his fake voice again.

"You don't need to do that." James said, re-sheathing his sword and looking down.

"Do what, sir?"

"You can call me James, first of all." He looked back up at Remus. "And you don't need to talk to me like that."

"I think I'm supposed to, _sir_."

"I know that you're _supposed_ to. But you don't have to." James said. "I don't want you to."

"You'd prefer that I speak more…"

"Colloquially." James said. "Like you were earlier."

"Alright." Remus said slowly.

"Dinner?"

"Yeah." They turned and walked back towards the castle. "Why do you treat me different than the other servants?"

"Because I'm allowed to." James said, not hesitating at all to think about it.

"Of course." Remus sighed.

"No, I mean," James gripped his hair and huffed. "I mean _you_ let me. I tried to talk to Bella's maid, Lily, a while ago and she just looked at me with wide eyes like I'd sprouted another head or something." Remus laughed. James grinned at that; it was the first time Remus had genuinely laughed and not at James' expense.

"She told me about that. She was surprised that you knew her name."

"I know everyone's name." James said, "And they all have the same reaction when I address them by it."

"I don't want to start a row, but I think that says more about you than it does about them." Then he bit his lip and added, "Though they can be quite judgmental."

James narrowed his eyes. "Did you just say something to make me feel better?"

"What? No." Remus scoffed. "It's just… everyone except Lily avoids me. And when they can't avoid me, they don't talk to me."

"Do you point out all their flaws as well?"

Remus ignored his comment and continued. "None of them approve of how I talk to you or about you and they're all afraid that I'm going to get them into trouble."

"That's ridiculous." James said. Then he laughed. "Imagine what they would do if they heard us now." Remus chuckled a bit as well. "My father is a bit of a traditionalist and so he hired people who understand the traditions. You being one of the blatant exceptions. So yes, it can get a bit stuffy around here sometimes. I suppose that's why I haven't fired you yet."

"Yet?" Remus laughed. "Are you planning on sacking me? Because you could have done that three weeks ago, and you haven't for some reason."

"Well, you are quite a dreadful servant."

"I'm an excellent servant."

"Sub-par at best." James said sternly.

"Oh please, you think you could find another servant who delivers his personal opinion of your politics along with your breakfast every morning?"

"Hopefully not." James grinned. They walked in the most comfortable silence they had experienced since the king had hired Remus, before James remembered something Remus had said back on the training field. "What were you saying about horses earlier?"

Remus ducked his head and groaned. "I wasn't saying anything about horses. I said absolutely nothing about them at all."

"I'll figure it out you know."

"No you won't."

"I'm extremely determined."

"It doesn't matter."

"You hope it doesn't matter."

"I honestly do."

"Remus? Remus, wait up!" Remus stopped walking at the sound of this new voice, and turned around to see Lily rushing towards him. James had also stopped and turned towards Lily. "Oh goodness." She flushed red when she saw that the second figure in the corridor was the Prince. "Your highness, I did not know that it was you."

James shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. He opened his mouth to say something, but Remus beat him to it. "Are you alright, Lily?" Lily's eyes flickered from James to Remus and then down to the floor.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just saw you headed in this direction and thought you were headed home. I didn't know- obviously I didn't know you were still working."

"Yes, we're headed to dinner." Remus said.

"Would you care to join us?" James' voice was higher than usual and his proposition came out very quickly, the last words almost sounded jumbled together. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Otherwise, it will just be Remus and I, and quite honestly I'm getting rather tired of him." Seeing the hard glint that appeared in Lily's eyes, James quickly backtracked, which Remus found hilarious. "I mean that in a- Actually, I don't mean that at all. I know you and Remus are friends and-" Another deep breath. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

"I think that would be inappropriate." Lily said quietly, her cheeks still a bright red. "If you'll excuse me, sire." She curtsied low and then walked past them, turning left at the next corridor.

As soon as she was out of sight, Remus started laughing. "What in God's name was that about?" He asked, holding his stomach. James punched him in the arm, but that did nothing to curb his laughter.

"It wasn't anything, she's your friend and I was just trying to be friendly." James muttered. Trying not to remember what she looked like in the blue dress a few weeks ago, an image he had been having a difficult time forgetting.

"Friendly? If I didn't know any better I'd think that you fancied her, _your highness._ " Remus chuckled again and the two boys continued walking down the corridor, towards the kitchens.

"What was she going to ask you anyway?" James asked, after Remus had finally stopped laughing about the encounter.

"I don't know." Remus shrugged, not looking too concerned about it. "She was probably going to ask me to walk her home."

"Oh." James furrowed his brow and started chewing on his lip. "I didn't realize that the two of you were so close."

"Yeah." Remus nodded. "She's the first person I met in the city. First person I talked to even. Helped me find Dumbledore and all."

"And then you got a job here." James said, trying to get Remus to keep talking.

He nodded. "Yes, it's nice getting to work with her every day."

"You think you'll marry her?"

Remus nearly choked on his own tongue. "Excuse me?"

"Well, I need to ask." James crossed his arms and tried to look as though he was justified in his snooping. "If you two do get married, both Bella and myself are going to have to find new servants and-"

"I'm not going to marry Lily." Remus interrupted him, looking completely flabbergasted.

"Well, it's just that she-"

"Talked to me?" Remus laughed. "You're sure quick to jump to conclusions." Then he remembered that James hadn't denied fancying Lily when he suggested it earlier. "We're just friends, James. Though," Because he still didn't _like_ James, and just because he wasn't currently acting like a prat didn't mean that he wasn't one. "You should know that she thinks you're something of an arrogant toerag." James looked affronted.

"Are those her words or yours?"

"I paraphrased, but they're close enough." Remus shrugged. "Whenever I complain about you she tells me some god-awful thing you did when you were younger. How big a prat do you have to be to pants the duke of a neighboring kingdom?"

James huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nicoli Mulciber is an arse."

"Oh, well then it's fine. You were perfectly in the right to _pants the duke of a neighboring kingdom_. He's not even a citizen of Camelot, not that that would have made it much better."

"I was also twelve if that makes a difference to you." Remus just laughed. "Does Lily really think that I'm a prat?"

"Well, seeing as you _are_ a prat and she's a rather bright girl," Remus shrugged. "I'd say so."

"I take it back." Remus furrowed his brows, not understanding what James meant. "I want you to go back to not speaking around me." James ran another hand through his hair and huffed.

"It's too late for that, James." Remus said. "You should actually start being nice to me so I don't tell your father that you have a thing for his Ward's maid." James shoved Remus into the wall and denied fancying Lily, causing Remus to laugh yet again.

* * *

 **AN: Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy the latest installment of my story.**

 **Reviews are the best and if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a pm, or leave them in a review!**


	4. A Quest for a Man of Myth

_**The strong will break with or without love, but with love they will have the courage to rebuild themselves.**_

 _~Unknown_

 **Chapter Four: A Quest for a Man of Myth**

Just now, Sirius Black was broke. To be fair, he was always rather broke, but he was never entirely out of money; until now that is. He had no horse, no money and his sword had been stolen from him the night before while he had been passed out against the wall in front of the tavern. He didn't feel right without it, like he'd accidentally walked into a room full of people and forgotten to put on pants.

There had once been a time when Sirius had access to more money than he knew what to do with; he was a Black after all, and the Blacks had quite the fortune to their name, but that had been a long time ago.

He was walking down a random road and he wasn't sure what direction it would take him in, but he was hoping against hope that he wouldn't run into anyone he knew, or anyone he didn't know, because he had no means to protect himself and all the people he knew were angry drunks and people he won money from or his family. And anyone he might run into that he didn't know was probably a thief. It was better if he just didn't run into anyone. At least until he had a sword in his hand again.

It was his own fault that he had no money. Instead of working last night to trick people out of their hard-earned gold, he spent the night with a maiden instead. She had been young and thin and beautiful and Sirius regretted it because he was pretty sure that she had been the one who had robbed him, and _after_ she had kicked him out of her room to boot. His sword hadn't been anything special, but it had saved his life a countless number of times and he had been rather fond of it. Not fond enough to stick around town and try to remember where she lived, but still, he wished she hadn't taken it.

It was getting dark and, because he was defenseless, he thought it would be a good idea to get as far from the road as he could. So he walked to his right, weaving around trees and over rocks. He was just about to settle down in a nice little clearing for the night, when he saw a faint wisp of smoke coming from somewhere in front of him.

There was a large chance that it could be bandits, but on the off chance that it wasn't, Sirius thought he would go and check it out. If it was just some travelers, like himself, he would feel better sleeping closer to them.

When he got closer he heard voices, female voices, and he started to feel better. The odds that a group of women were going to attack and maim him were very slim. He continued to approach them quietly and with caution however, because the odds that a group of women were traveling through the woods alone, was also very slim.

He reached a large oak by the edge of their camp and crouched down to the bottom of the trunk to peek around.

"She should be back by now." One of the girls was saying as she paced back and forth by the fire. She had long brown hair that was loosely tied at the base of her neck with a piece of ribbon, but what Sirius found the most striking was that she was dressed as a man. She wore canvas pants, lace up boots, and a thick leather vest and most astonishingly, a sword. "She said to give her ten minutes, that was at least thirty minutes ago."

"You worry too much, Dory." Another girl said from the other side of their camp. This woman had shorter brown hair that was extremely curly. She was leaning back against a tree and had her eyes closed. She was also dressed like a man and carrying a sword.

"I don't think you worry enough, Mary. What if someone found her, or hurt her? What if she's lying somewhere bleeding to death?" The girl named Dory ranted. Sirius was inclined to side with Mary. "What if she's been captured? What will we do then?"

"Dory, she's going to be just fine. She always is, no?" Mary said, still looking completely relaxed. "If she's not back in ten more minutes, then we'll go out and find her." Dory huffed but didn't continue arguing. She sat down on a large boulder near the edge of the fire and started tapping her foot anxiously. This was when Sirius started to get the feeling that he knew this girl, or at least he had known her. "Honestly, you're going to drive me mad!" Mary complained.

"Mary, she's like a sister to me."

"I know that, Dory. She's my best friend as well, but I know that she can handle herself." Sirius was about ready to introduce himself now, wanting to ask the girl with long hair if she had frequented a tavern a bit farther north or somewhere near there because everything about her was familiar, if only she would turn towards him so he could have a look at her face. He thought it was odd that they were traveling alone, and letting their friends go off by themselves, but maybe if he offered his help they would let him sit by their fire for a while. It was getting rather chilly.

He stood up from behind the tree and brushed his trousers off. He hadn't taken one full step towards the girls when he felt something cold, hard and sharp press against his lower back.

"Take one more step and I'll run you through." A voice snarled in his ear. Both of the women sitting around the fire were on their feet in an instant, with swords drawn. He slowly lifted his hands to show that he was unarmed and turned to face his attacker. The man who had snuck up behind him was wearing a metal helmet and a fair bit of armor. He also had a blue vest over his chainmail with a large artful 'L' sewn onto the front.

"I was stupid to not check behind me." Sirius laughed. "Of course they're going to have someone with them. Woman never travel alone. Good evening, Lancelot." This wasn't his first run in with the infamous, almost legendary, self-proclaimed knight. This was, however, the first time Lancelot had held a sword to him.

"Do you think this is a joke?" He asked, bringing his sword up to Sirius's throat.

"No, but I do believe that this is a misunderstanding. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I've been robbed of all my money and sword, I saw the smoke and thought that I would ask if I could join the camp for the night."

"And you thought it was a good idea to spy on us from behind a tree _why_?" Mary asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I was just making sure that whoever was at the camp wasn't a bandit or a murderer."

"You expect us to believe that?" Dory asked, walking up and flanking Lancelot. Her face was pinched in distrust, and her dark blue eyes glared at him and yet he still couldn't place her.

"It is the truth." Sirius said, still inspecting Dory. "I did not come here to harm anyone. Like I said before, I don't even have a sword."

"Check him." Lancelot said, nodding towards Dory. She quickly stepped up to Sirius and reached her hands into his pockets.

"Careful, love. You don't even know my name." He grinned and she pinched his arm. "Ow."

"Be quiet." She snapped. "And I do know who you are. You're Sirius Black."

"Why didn't you start with that?" Lancelot said, dropping his sword and stepping back. Sirius didn't know if he was talking to Dory or to him. "Sirius Black, eh?" He asked, walking over to the fire. "I've heard stories about you. Are you as good with a sword as they say?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Sirius grinned, joining him at the fire.

"I suppose you could." He laughed. "It's nice to actually meet you this time." He held his hand out. "Sorry I didn't recognize you earlier. It's getting dark and I only had a glance at you the first time we met."

"S'fine." Sirius said, waving away his apology. "I only knew it was you because of your vest, seeing as how I've never seen your face," He looked at Lancelot pointedly, but he was looking at the fire, still wearing his helmet. "Come on, why are you still-"

"When did you meet him?" Mary interrupted quickly, now settled back into her previous position at the base of the tree. "At a tavern I presume?"

"You've heard about me too then?" Sirius laughed, looking away from Lancelot and towards Mary.

"Who hasn't?" Dory asked. "And are you really going to pretend that you don't know me?" Sirius was taken aback by that.

"Excuse me?" He asked, even though he was sure that he knew her from somewhere. Something about her made him want to argue. "I wasn't aware that I knew you." He said wryly.

"Honestly?" She asked, hands on her hips. "I'm Dorcas Meadowes. We met up in Lorekeep- We were neighbors growing up."

"Dorcas?" Sirius asked, honestly surprised. He hadn't been expecting her to be from that far back in his past. "You were fourteen and engaged that last time I saw you." Dorcas rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "What happened?"

"I called off the wedding."

"Obviously." Sirius nodded. "Why?"

She huffed. "Lord Rabastan just wasn't my cup of tea."

"Can't blame you for that." Sirius laughed. "He was always a nasty child. I can't imagine he grew up much, or changed at all. Does he still cry when someone says 'no' to him?"

Dory's lips twitched, giving her away, but she still pretended to be upset nonetheless. "I wouldn't know. I haven't seen him in years." Sirius sat down near the fire and held his hands out to warm them. He caught the look that Mary and Dory exchanged, but they didn't say anything, so he pretended as though he hadn't. He wasn't going to leave unless they asked him to.

"So how did a lady like you end up dressed like that and in the middle of the woods?"

"A lady like me?" Dory scoffed. "How did a man like _you_ end up gambling for his supper?"

"I don't gamble. Gambling is about risk and chance. I win. I know the outcome before I make the bet."

"Well, maybe we should make a bet right now." Mary said, sitting up straight. "A real bet."

"Surprisingly, I'm not really a gambling man."

"And we're not really hospitable." She shrugged. "If you want to stay here for the night, you'll have to make a bet. A real bet." Sirius looked around the camp at the three people and sighed. They were going to have him fight Lancelot. He didn't know if he could beat Lancelot, he'd never seen him fight, but he'd heard stories. He was all everyone was talking about these days. The thought of an actual challenge excited him, but he really did need somewhere to stay tonight, and it was safer to be in a group. When he opened his mouth to agree to Mary's terms, he was struck with a thought.

"Shouldn't the three of you be more concerned with finding your friend than with making wagers?"

"Finding our friend?" Mary asked. "What are you talking about?"

"When I first got here, you two," He nodded towards Mary and Dory. "Were talking about how your friend was lost and if she didn't turn up in ten more minutes than you were going to go out and look for her. It's been well over ten minutes." They all looked at each other this time. Dory looked a bit panic-stricken.

"What were you eavesdropping on us for?" She snapped.

"I told you!" Sirius said. "I was making sure that you weren't a bunch of murderous thieves." He turned to Lancelot and held out his hand. "What do you say, you want to join me in looking for her? What's the maiden's name, anyhow?" Lancelot reached out and helped Sirius back to his feet.

"Her name is Hestia." He said. "But we don't need to go and find her."

"We don't?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Why not? Doe seemed pretty upset earlier."

"Don't call me that."

"Dory gets upset about everything." He said, looking at her through the small opening in his helmet. "As you've probably noticed. I just rode Hestia back to town. She wanted to stay in a real bed and then visit her mother tomorrow. We'll meet back up with her sometime next week. Maybe. She's being rather… fickle, as of late."

"Oh." Mary said. Then she rolled her eyes and leant back against the tree. "Thanks for telling us beforehand."

"And thank you for telling us that you were going to be late." Dory added. "Hestia had me worried enough without you just disappearing on us as well."

"Were you worried?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "Did you think something bad happened to me?"

"Shut up." Dory said, rolling her eyes. Sirius had assumed that would be the reason that Lancelot had two woman traveling with him, he was just trying to work out why they were both okay with it. And there was a third woman as well. Sirius was going to have to ask Lancelot about that.

"No need for the flirting." He said. "So we don't have to go look for this Hestia bird? She's good and safe?"

"She's good and safe." Lancelot nodded.

"Are you going to take the helmet off?" Sirius asked, not able to _not_ ask any longer. "I've worn one before, they're not comfortable."

"I'm not taking it off."

"Are you worried that I'll make fun of your face or tell people what you look like? And it's not like you wear it all the time, right?" He looked at Mary and Dory. "He doesn't wear it _all_ the time."

"If there are people around, Lance wears the helmet. You might do well to think of the helmet as _part_ of Lancelot." Mary said, crossing her legs. "Oh and by the way, nice use of our lost friend to get out of fighting him."

"I try my best." He sighed.

"I think it would be best if we all just went to bed." Lancelot said.

"So we're letting him stay?" Dory asked, jabbing a thumb in Sirius's direction.

"Dory, we help people. It's what we do. He needs help, so he can stay." Lancelot explained.

"I say we give him a sword and send him on his way." Mary said. Dory nodded.

"We can't afford to give him a sword." Lancelot said. "Now goodnight." He laid down on the ground and rolled onto his side. Sirius sat down and looked at him for a moment before sighing. For some reason, this man really didn't want anyone to see his face, but that shouldn't mean that he had to sleep in his helmet. Not simply because he was kind enough to help Sirius out. Sirius wasn't used to people being nice to him, but he knew that when they were, you were supposed to return the favor.

"Look," He said, picking up a rag off of one of the rocks near him. It looked like it had been used for cooking but it was fairly clean. "You shouldn't have to sleep in your helmet. You can take it off and I'll blindfold myself." Lancelot sat up and for a moment, nobody said anything.

"Is he supposed to trust you?" Dory scoffed.

"I'm just trying to show my gratitude." Sirius said, glaring at Dory. He didn't know what he had done to make her so angry, but her attitude was starting to get on his nerves. "I swear that I won't take the blindfold off until you give me permission. If you don't want anyone to know about your third eye-"

"I don't have a third eye."

"Or that your nose is upside down-"

"Wrong again."

"Then that's your right." There was yet another moment of silence.

"I believe you." Mary said from across the campfire. "It's weird, because I pegged you for an awful man who just lies and steals, but I believe you."

"I think that warrants a thank you." Sirius laughed. He then proceeded to tie the rag around his head, lay down and turn away from Lancelot and the others. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Lancelot said. Sirius then heard the clinking of metal and then the sound of someone cracking their neck and groaning in relief. He thought about it, for just a split second. Turning around and whipping off his blindfold, seeing why there was so much secrecy. But he didn't want to end up dead, or alone in the middle of the woods. So he stayed there, with his blindfold on.

oOoOo

James and Remus's relationship had taken a turn for the better ever since James had told Remus that he wanted him to treat him just like everyone else. Not only were they getting along better, but they were also receiving many strange looks from both servants and nobles while they walked down the corridors and streets together. They both laughed at each other's jokes and at each other's expense. And Remus didn't talk to James like he was next in line for the throne, but rather as if he were a very close friend.

"I told you that you would change your mind about the job." Lily said smugly one day while the two of them were doing laundry. "It's a good job and apparently James isn't as bad as you thought he was."

"You're doing it again." The king's manservant muttered. His name was Hank and he had joined Lily and Remus at the washtub for the day. "You're calling our Prince by his first name."

"He's not here." Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, what was I saying?"

"You were in the middle of a long overdue, 'I told you so.'" Remus laughed, acting extremely good-natured about the whole ordeal. He was glad that he had been wrong about the job. He would have hated being stuck as James' manservant if they hadn't learned to get along. And sure James was still a prat at times, but now that Remus knew that he was allowed to tell him off for it, he didn't mind as much. And sure James still got to tell Remus what to do, but now it was mostly in retaliation to Remus's teasing. Remus wasn't excessively prideful either, which also made the relationship work. Remus didn't mind that he had been wrong so much and at the moment, that was upsetting Lily.

"Right." Lily nodded. "I was right and you were wrong."

"You were right." Remus agreed.

"This isn't nearly as satisfying as it would be if you stopped agreeing with me."

"I know." He grinned. Lily splashed some water at him and Hank scoffed.

"Must the two of you behave as children?" He asked, wiping an imagined water droplet from his cheek.

"I ask Remus the same thing every day, Hank." James proclaimed, marching into the room and causing all the staff to turn towards him and bow or curtsy. Well, most of the staff. Remus turned towards James and crossed his arms over his chest. "You see how you're supposed to act around me, Remus?"

"Oh!" Remus said, putting his hand over his heart and acting surprised. "I can't believe I was doing it wrong all this time. What's it been, three months? And no one thought to tell me?" Lily giggled and James turned towards her.

"I'm sorry your highness." She said, trying to keep a straight face. "I didn't mean to laugh."

"Don't apologize, Lily." Remus said, splashing her with water now. She gasped when it got on her face.

"Remus!" James admonished. "Why would you throw water at her?" He sounded serious so Remus dropped his smile for a moment and looked at Lily, who was biting her bottom lip and trying not to laugh.

"She started it." Remus said with a half-hearted shrug. It was too much for Lily and she burst out laughing. James looked at her and smiled himself.

"Is that true?" He asked. "Are you giving Remus a hard time?"

"All the time, Sire." She said, still laughing. "Though he does his fair share of mocking as well."

"So it's not just me you like to tease then." James said, shoving Remus's shoulder.

"Sorry, does that make you jealous?"

"Alright, that's enough. I did come down here for a reason." James said, leaning back against the wall. "But now I can't remem- oh yes! You and I are going on a little trip." He gave Remus a look that made his stomach tighten.

"A little trip?" Remus asked, dropping the sudsy clothes he was holding. "You're not taking me hunting again are you? Because I really don't enjoy that."

"No no no." James laughed, shaking his head. "I'm not taking you hunting. Not again. No, we are going to ride out to the edge of the forest and check it out."

"That seems like a job that your knights could do. Very easily."

"It is." James agreed. "But… I want to look for something myself."

"Oh my goodness. This is about," He looked around the room and then took a few steps towards James to whisper, " _him_. Isn't it?"

"Of course it is." James whispered back. "The man is making us look like fools, Remus. He's stopped three attacks just this week and my knights aren't even seeing any of the bandits. I need to at least talk to him."

"Is everything alright?" Lily asked, still standing at the basin. "I mean, no one is in danger, are they?"

"No." James assured her, placing a hand on her arm. "Everything is fine."

"Thank you, Sire. I was just making sure because Lady Bellatrix is out riding today."

"Your concern is appreciated, but Lady Bellatrix is riding with half a dozen of our finest men. There is no need to worry about her." Lily nodded.

"Let's get going before you turn into an enormous prat." Remus said, grabbing the Princes' arm and dragging him towards the door.

"You're just going to let my clothes soak in the dirty water while we're gone?"

"Of course not." Remus smirked. "Hank will take care of them, won't you Hank?" Hank's jaw ground together, but he smiled at James.

"It would be my pleasure, your highness."

"Well, thank you." James smiled, not noticing that anything was amiss. "Let's get going, Remus. It was nice to see you, Lily."

She looked up, blushing and slightly confused. "You as well, Sire."

"You can call me, James." He said, running a hand through his hair.

"And now you're an enormous prat." Remus groaned. "Leave Lily alone and let's go."

"Right, sorry." James straightened himself up and walked out of the room Remus looked back at Lily who rolled her eyes.

"Sorry about him." Remus said. "But I have told you, yes?"

"You have told me." Lily agreed.

"Remus!" James exclaimed, either calling Remus or admonishing him for whatever he had 'told' Lily.

"I'm coming." Remus sighed and looked at Lily again. "I think I'm going to have to ride a horse." He said quietly. Lily tried not to laugh and gave him her best sympathetic look.

"If you survive, I'll sneak down to the kitchens and get you some cookies."

"That is almost a nice gesture. Except that you had to add the 'if you survive' into it." Remus shook his head and ran out the door after James to the sound of Lily's laughter.

oOoOo

Mary and Dorcas stood near the bank of a creek with a pile of laundry at their feet. Mary's short hair was pulled up by a rag that she had tied around her head to keep her bangs from falling into her eyes. Though she was slightly aggravated at the moment and kept messing with her hair, so it wasn't really doing much by way of its intended purpose.

"Don't know why the boys can't help us out here." Mary called over her shoulder, loudly enough for Sirius and Lancelot to hear her. Sirius smirked and said that it wasn't his laundry and Lance just waved her comment away.

"Did Hestia tell you anything last night?" Dory asked, not really caring one way or the other what the boys were currently doing. She had other things on her mind. After Sirius and Lance had fallen asleep last night, Dory had heard Mary get up and head off a ways, but hadn't acted quickly enough for follow her. And while she was fairly confident in her skills, she wasn't one to go meandering about in the middle of the night, in a forest that she knew very little about. "Did she mention anything else about-"

"How about we don't go muttering about things that shouldn't be overheard, Dory." Mary hissed, her already displeased disposition turning even more sour.

"I thought you trusted him?" Dory hissed back. "And I just wanted to know if you heard anything more about Emrus."

"And that's exactly what we don't need being overheard." Mary grabbed hold of Dory's arm and pulling her to the other side of the creek. She pulled Dory's face close to hers and whispered angrily, "Lance has got enough to worry about without adding our problems to the mix. I'm not even sure that we could continue to travel with-"

Dory pulled herself back and pushed her hair behind her ears. "I'm not thick, Mary. I know that we have to keep it a secret, if you haven't noticed, I'm rather good at keeping secrets. I grew up in one of the more noble families that Camelot has to offer, in a city full of nobles that all _hated_ people like me. I know what it takes to survived."

"And yet you muttered Emrus' name in the presence of Sirius Black and-"

"Alright!" Dory cried, crossing her arms and stalking back over to the other side of the creek.

"Are you two alright over there?" Sirius called, drawing Lance's attention to the girls in the creek.

"Fine." Mary snapped. "Mind your own damn business."

"Mary?"

"That includes you, Lance."

"Dory, what did you do to Mary?"

"Nothing!" Dory picked up a petticoat and beat it against a rock. "Why- does everyone- always blame- me for- everything?" She punctuated each phrase with another whack of her dress against the rock.

"God, what is it with you two." Lance muttered. "You can't do anything without shouting at one another." Mary was about to open her mouth to spit out some nasty retort when Dory kicked her in the shin, causing her to lose her balance and tumble backwards into the creek. Sirius and Lance were quick to start laughing, but Mary screamed and started to lunge at Dory.

"Stop!" Dory cried, putting her hands up and covering her face. Sirius was settling in to watch and Lance was about to intervene when Mary suddenly relaxed, took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, her teeth clenched together despite her sincere tone. "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm fine, it was an accident."

"Well that was anticlimactic." Sirius sighed, turning back to stoke the fire.

"Agreed." Lance said. "And also a bit strange. What were you two fighting over, anyway?"

"Didn't I just say that it was none of your damn business?"

"She did." Dory nodded, looking down at her feet, still scrubbing away at the petticoat. "I heard her say it." That ended the conversation and the group went back to their own individual tasks.

oOoOo

"And what exactly are we looking for?" Remus asked. They had been riding through the woods for about two hours now and they hadn't seen anything, and James wasn't talking much either. Luckily, the horse that Remus was on was behaving well so he didn't have to worry about it too much. Well, apart from the fact that he was currently sitting on top of a thousand pound animal that could kill him at any moment it chose too. Other than that though, he was golden.

"I'll let you know when I see it." James said for the tenth time or so. He was dressed in common clothes as a precautionary measure because he had insisted that Remus and him go alone. Bringing no knights at all. So, really, Remus was not golden. Not only did he have to worry about the horse crushing his bones into a thousand tiny pieces, but he also had to be worried about bandits attacking him at any moment and slitting his throat.

"If you brought one of your knights along, they could actually be helping you with this."

"But I brought you instead, and you're completely useless." James looked over at Remus. "And afraid of horses."

"I knew that's why you brought me." Remus hissed. He wanted to yell at James, but he didn't want to frighten the beast he was currently sitting upon. So he had to settle for angry hissing. "And I'm not afraid of horses. Though, if I were, it would be a completely understandable fear, seeing as how they are huge and large and heavy and could crack your skull with their hooves."

"It's just a horse. It's not going to hurt you and besides, the only way to get over your fear is to confront it."

"I just said that I'm not afraid of horses." Remus snapped. "I just don't like them."

"Sure." James nodded. "Now shut up and look for Lancelot."

"He's not just going to be wandering around the woods." Remus said. "He doesn't want to get caught."

"Actually, Remus, I think he is going to be just wandering around the woods. How else would he always be there to help people? He has to be watching the road. And that means that he _is_ somewhere around here. So, look for him."

"Alright, alright. You make a fair point." Remus conceded. "I'll help you look for this mysterious man. But just out of curiosity, what are you going to do to him if we find him?"

"I just want to talk to him." James shrugged. "Maybe ask him to join the knights instead of making them look bad."

"Are you jealous of him?" Remus asked, the thought not just now coming to him. "Because he's doing something you can't?"

"That's not fair, Remus. If I sat out in the woods all day and waited for people to be attacked, I could save them. But I can't do that. I have things to do, I'm a prince."

"I was just asking." Remus said, hiding a smirk.

"Well, don't." James' face suddenly snapped towards the opposite direction. "What was that?"

"What wa-"

"Shut up!" He hissed. He jumped down from his horse, and Remus quickly followed in suit, not really caring why, just grateful for an excuse to get off the monstrous beast. James crouched slightly and started walking, very careful not to step on any branches or leaves, towards the road. Remus could hear a faint melodic sound coming from up the road. Soon the noise turned into a voice.

"Fifty-five bottles of beer on the wall, fifty-five bottles of beer. Take one down, swallow it all, fifty-four bottles of beer on the wall…" It was a man walking, almost skipping really, down the road while singing to himself. "Fifty-four bottles of beer on the wall, Fifty-four bottles of beer. Take one down, swallow it all, fifty-three bottles of beer on the wall."

"Aren't you supposed to pass it around?" James grinned. Remus didn't understand what he was talking about so he rolled his eyes.

"That's not Lancelot." He whispered.

"Who's there!" The man called, putting his fists up in front of him and jerking his head back and forth to look around him as quickly as possible. "Come on out and show your faces, cowards."

"There's no need for that." James said, standing up and walking out to the road. "I was looking for someone else." The man eyed James' sword warily and then his gaze shifted over to Remus. "My name is Harry," James said. Then he reached behind him and grabbed Remus's arm. "And this here is my brother Ted. We were looking for," He lowered his voice and looked around the forest. "Lancelot. He saved our mother the other day and we wanted to thank him personally."

"I'm not an idiot." The man said, jutting his jaw out and crossing his arms. "But as you can see, I've got nothing on me. You can't steal anything from a man who has nothing. That's what I always say."

"We're not thieves." Remus said. "We really are looking for Lancelot." James elbowed him in the side. He didn't know why though seeing as how James had told the man the same thing only two seconds ago.

"You are?" Sirius asked. "Well, I could use some money if you have any to spare. And judging by your sword, you do."

"Why would I pay you?" James asked.

"Because, I know where Lance is." He said smugly. "I actually just left his camp. Though I'm not really keen on going back anytime soon. Not that I've got a problem with Lance-"

"Really?" James said. "Prove it."

"Prove it? How?"

"Tell me what he looks like."

"I can't. He blindfolded me. Sort of. I actually offered to blindfold myself. But that was only because he was going to sleep in his helmet. He didn't want me to see his face."

"You're not lying are you? You're being serious?"

"I'm Sirius all the time." He chuckled. Remus looked at James who shrugged. "Now why don't you lads show me some money, and I'll show you where he is."

"We've got nothing to lose." James whispered to Remus. "I mean, if I need to, I could over power him later."

"He's unarmed, James. Why would you need to overpower him?"

"James? So, your names not Harry?" James glared at Remus and the man laughed. "Calm down there, I knew you were lying and it makes no difference to me. My name is Sirius Black, borderline criminal and disinherited noblemen. It's nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out. James laughed a bit and then shook his hand.

"Do you always introduce yourself like that?"

"No. That would be bad for business. But I don't have to hustle you two to get money. Do I James? And what's your real name?"

"I'm Remus." Remus said. "Are you sure you can take us to Lancelot?"

"What are you going to do if you find him?" Sirius asked. "Because he's a really nice man and I wouldn't want anything to happen to him just because I want a couple pieces of gold. The ladies he's traveling with on the other hand..."

"A couple pieces?" Remus asked, his eyes bugging out a bit. "Who do you think we are?" James coughed and nudged Remus in the gut again.

"It's fine, whatever he wants is fine."

"It's fine?" Remus asked. "Do you know how much I get paid a week? And you think it's fine?"

"Can we talk about this later?" James asked, giving Remus a pointed look.

"Yeah, whatever. Throw your gold wherever you fancy. I don't care."

"I think he cares a little bit." Sirius said.

"I just want to offer him a job. And talk to him." James said, moving the conversation back to Lancelot. "I'm not here to cause trouble with him, he's doing this kingdom a great favor and I appreciate it."

"You work for the king or something?" Sirius asked, scratching the back of his head. He didn't look entirely sold on what James was telling him, but Remus had a feeling that he was going to tell them what they wanted to know anyway. James must have sensed it as well, because he didn't try and offer any actual information when answering the man's question.

"Or something." James nodded. Sirius shifted from one foot to the other and looked them over once more.

"Well, come on then. I should make you pay upfront."

"How about I give you one gold coin now," James said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a coin. "And another one after you show me where Lancelot is?"

"Sounds fair to me." Sirius smirked, pocketing his coin. Then he spun around on his heel and motioned for them to follow him. "Though I am curious as to why a bloke would be carrying as much money as you seem to be. Especially when these parts of the woods are known to be a tad bit dangerous."

"They are not dangerous." James said firmly. "There has been a spike in robberies along this trail, but it's nothing that can't be fixed." Sirius looked at Remus, as though he would say or do something that would explain the intensity of James' statement, but Remus just looked at James.

"I want a raise." Remus muttered. "If you can afford to pay strange men two gold coins to show you where someone might be, then you can give me more than 12 silver pieces a week."

"I'm not giving you a raise." James said, shaking his hand.

"I'll spit in your food."

"I'll fire you."

"You will not." Remus said. "For some reason, you seem to like me."

"It baffles me as well."

After a few moments of walking, James remembered about the horses.

"We're not going back for them." Remus said. "We only have two anyway. And there are three of us."

"You could walk." James said. "You'd like that anyway, wouldn't you?"

"We're walking right now. We're fine. The horses will be fine."

"You don't even like being near horses?" James laughed. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me." Remus snapped. "I just don't like large animals that could trip and fall on top of me, simultaneously shattering every bone in my body and crushing my lungs."

"When he says it like that," Sirius said, having kept a straight face throughout the entire conversation. "I'm not too comfortable with horses either."

"See!" Remus pointed at Sirius. "By the way, I just got the joke about your name from earlier. 'being serious.'" Sirius laughed.

"Look at what you're doing." James said, ignoring the play on Sirius's name. "You're making your irrational fears rub off on other people."

"It's not irrational. Or a fear." Remus said. He turned to Sirius. "Are we almost there?"

"Luckily." Sirius said, raising his eyebrows. "It's just a bit off the road, here." He stepped off the road and started walking into the woods.

"Is this safe?" Remus whispered. "We're following someone we don't know into the woods. To find people that we don't know. What if he tries to murder us? What if he's taking us to a group of people who are-"

"Stop being scared of everything, Remus."

"I'm sorry that I enjoy living. And full use of my appendages." Sirius snickered.

"You too have been friends for too long." He observed.

"We're not friends." Remus said quickly. "And we've only known each other for three months. Actually a little less than that." James rolled his eyes.

"I think his statement is valid. Less than three months is too long to have been frie- sorry, _acquaintances_ with you."

"There." Sirius said, pointing through some trees. "Their camp is right through there."

"I can see it." James nodded, walking in front of Sirius now in the direction he had pointed.

"He can't see it." Sirius whispered to Remus.

"He just- I mean... I know." He sighed. Sirius laughed again.

"Are you like his servant or something?"

"I am his servant, yes."

"Tough break."

"Yep."

"Lancelot?" James called. Now that he was far closer to the camp, he could see the fire pit and the small curls of smoke coming up from the coals. "I've come to talk to you, peaceably."

"Who talks like that?" Sirius asked.

"A prat." Remus replied.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" A girl jumped out from behind a tree, holding a sword pointed right at James' throat. "Start talki- You again?"

"Hello Dory. I've brought fans." Sirius said, stepping up next to James and pushing Dory's blade away.

"You brought people here?" She asked, looking completely outraged. "Is this how you say thank you?"

"Maybe you can give her my second gold coin." Sirius said, nodding at James.

"I don't want money! I want to know why you thought that was okay to sell us out!"

"What's going on up there?" Another voice called. "Is everything alright?"

"Don't come any closer! _Mary_." Dory said, looking slightly panicked.

"What?" A girl with thick brown hair sat up at the base of a tree looking a bit disoriented. "What's happening?"

"Are you just waking up?" Sirius asked this girl. "That's slightly impressive given that you slept on a tree all night."

"I was doing laundry earlier you prat. Why are you still here?" She snapped, pushing herself off the ground and reaching for a sword that was leaning against a log. She quickly fastened it around her waist and then stepped forward.

"You don't have to be mean. I thought you liked me."

"I don't mind you, but I don't like you."

"I'll take it." He shrugged. "Who's the third lady. And where is Lancelot."

"What third lady?" Mary asked, standing up and yawing.

"The girl that Dory called Mary when you were still asleep."

"I didn't call someone Mary, other than Mary." Dory said. "I told Lance not to come any closer and _then_ I called Mary."

"I'm so confused." Remus said shaking his head.

"I am as well." James said. "Can someone explain to me what's going on? And is Lancelot here, because I'd like to speak with him if that's alright."

"Why?" Mary asked, placing her hands on the handle of her sword, which was still sheathed, unlike Dory's, and walking up so she was standing directly in front of James. "Because he's a man?"

"Mainly, yes." James replied. Remus huffed and let his head fall into his hand.

"He's a git, please excuse him."

"I didn't say anything wrong." James said, nudging Remus for the third time.

"You look familiar." Dory said, inspecting James. "Have we met?"

"It's possible. I meet a great number of people in my position."

"Your position?" Sirius laughed. "What, do you work nights at the tavern?" Remus snorted and James looked horrified.

"Are you implying what I think you are?" Dory asked, taking a step closer to Sirius. "I don't sleep with whores!" James was about to interject when his attention was diverted.

"What is going on here?" A man's voice called. Lancelot came walking into camp, wearing his helmet and a thick leather vest. "I was only gone for a few minutes."

"This isn't our fault,Lancelot." Mary said. "This wanker wants to talk to you and he might be a male prostitute."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about me like that." James said, running a hand through his hair. "It's an honor to finally make your acquaintance."

"Sure, sure. Who are you?"

"Terribly sorry, where are my manners?" James held out his hand. "I'm Prince James Potter of Camelot." As soon as the title left his mouth, Dory shut her eyes and Mary shook her head.

"I'm really sorry." Dory said at the same time Mary said, "I hope you don't expect me to apologize." Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"Prince James?" Lancelot asked, his voice shooting up almost an entire octave. Then he coughed a bit and added, "What are you doing here? I mean- It's an honor to meet you, sir." He swept into a bow.

"I'm just going to be straightforward with you, if that's alright. I came out here hoping to find you so that I could ask if you would be interested in becoming a knight of Camelot. I've heard of the work you've been doing on your own, and I can only imagine what you could accomplish if you had a few of my men standing beside you."

"You're offering me a place among your knights?" He asked. "I'm honored, but I don't know what to say."

"I know what you should say." Mary said, tucking her hair behind her ear and crossing her arms over her chest.

"You don't have to decide right now." James said smoothly, giving Mary a small smile which was not returned. "But I would appreciate it if you accompanied me back to the castle and let me explain in greater detail what becoming a knight would mean. The benefits, salary and whatnot?" Lance was quiet for a moment, his hands on his hips and Mary and Dory both exchanged worried glances.

"You can't honestly be thinking about this?" Mary said. "You know that you can't-"

"I don't think I can argue with the prince." And the two men shook hands. Mary threw her head back took a deep breath through her nose.

"Are you sure about this?" Dory asked. "I mean… think this through."

"I hate agreeing with her, but she's right." Mary said. "Think about this. _Really_ think about it."

"I don't know what to tell you girls. The Prince of Camelot just came down from the castle, found me in the middle of the woods and asked me to go back to become a knight. What am I supposed to do? Say no?"

"Yes." Dory said. "That is exactly what you're supposed to do."

"You're both welcomed to come along as well. And your other friend. Where ever she is."

"It's just the three of us." Mary said. "And sometimes Hestia. But she's-"

"Visiting her mum." Sirius said, giving all three of them a strange look. "Right?"

"Well, she lives with her mum, but yeah." Mary said, her fingers still dancing on the hilt of her sword. She looked uneasy.

"What's going on, Sirius?" James asked.

"I don't really know. Everyone is lying to me. They are lying about something." He pointed at the girls and Lancelot. "You lied to me about who you were. And I'm sure Remus has a secret he's not telling anyone."

"Don't bring me into this." Remus said, putting his hands up.

"Why do you think they're lying about something?" James asked.

"Even I know that they're hiding something." Remus said. "And I'm just your stupid servant."

"We're not hiding anything. Except Lancelot's face." Mary said. "That has to be understood, now. Under _no_ circumstances is his helmet to be removed."

"Understood." James said quickly. "I understand, and I respect that. Though, my father will want some sort of explanation."

"And I will give him one." Lancelot said. "When and _if_ he asks."

"He will ask." James said. "He's too distrusting not to."

"Well, I suggest we get moving before we're in danger of losing the sunlight." Lance said. "Is our camp packed up?" He looked at Mary.

"She was napping." Dory sighed. "But I packed up everything. We just need some horses."

"Do we though?" Remus asked, causing Sirius to pat him on the back in a would-be comforting manner if he hadn't also been laughing.

* * *

 **I know that some of you have been asking me to update faster, but this was 30 pages on MW, and 8,000 words. I have two jobs and I'm taking 14 credits which require me to read over 75k-100k words and write three papers a week. I'm also trying to read A Game of Thrones. You're getting this story as fast as I can possibly give it to you. But I _can_ promise that you will get  two updates every month for the foreseeable future. **

**Reviews are off the chain, so leave one if you will. :)**


	5. Nonsense and Nobility

_**The courageous will cower with or without love, but with love they will proudly face their fears.**_

 _~Unknown_

 **Chapter Five: Nonsense and Nobility**

The party returned to Camelot mostly on foot. Lancelot and James rode the horses that Remus and James had tied up earlier, and much to Remus's relief he, Sirius, Mary and Dory all walked (a safe distance) behind them.

"So, are you two his maids?" Remus asked, attempting to make polite conversation. He was met however, with two glares that left the hair on the back of his neck standing.

"Ask me that again and I'll cut off your arm." Mary said, her fist clenching around the hilt of her sword. "We're more like lookouts. We watch for trouble and call him when we see it."

"Or take care of it ourselves." Dory shrugged. When she saw the shocked look on Sirius's face she smirked. "What, you thought these swords were just for decoration? We do know how to use them."

"Well, I assumed you had basic knowledge of how to use them, but _really_? You help Lancelot? No one's ever said anything about a couple of girls fighting off bandits in the woods. I believe that you are just making things up now."

"We cover our faces." Mary said. "That way no one knows who we are and they can assume whatever they would like."

"Are you saying that you let people think that the two of you are Lancelot?" Remus asked, more impressed than shocked. Unlike Sirius who was still gaping like a fish.

"But you're girls." He said. " _Woman_." They both laughed, and then Dory shook her head. "You shouldn't know how to hold a sword, let alone kill someone with it."

"You take the pointy end and you stab them with it." Mary said, rolling her eyes. "I think everyone knows that."

"We could show you if you'd like." Dory said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I highly doubt that." Sirius said. "I've been trained with a sword since I was five. And I know for a fact that you spent your childhood sewing and learning to walk with books on your head, Dory." She scoffed.

"I'm not that little girl anymore." She said, her eyes hardening as she said it. "I'm different."

"I can see that, I'm not blind. I'm saying that I've been training longer than you and I'm really rather good. Excellent even. I've gone up against hundreds of men and not one of them have bested me. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"Because I'm a girl?" Dory asked, her brow quirked. Remus put a hand on Sirius's shoulder.

"He actually didn't say that." He said, knowing very well that Sirius had meant it anyway. "He said it was because he was more practiced than you and also very talented."

"It's also because you're a girl." Sirius laughed, punching Remus playfully in the shoulder. Remus wasn't sure why this stranger seemed to be so comfortable with him, but he couldn't say that he minded it too much. Sirius seemed like a good person, if slightly out there.

"God," Dory sighed. "Why are you still here? I don't recall the prince inviting you back to the castle." Sirius laughed, but didn't answer her.

"I was trying to help you out, mate. Currently, they each have a sword and you don't have anything to defend yourself with." Remus said with a rueful smile.

"You should listen to him." Mary said. "But luckily for you, we don't attack defenseless, children." She smirked and Dory chuckled.

"Ha ha." Sirius scratched the back of his head. "You're hilarious."

"Stop intimidating the blokes." Lancelot called back. "They seem nice enough."

"They're not intimidating me." Sirius called back. "They're just a couple of woman. I've handled far worse before. Actually there was this one pair over on Knockturn Isle that looked strikingly similar-"

"Please shut up." Remus said. "You really don't know when to keep your mouth shut." Then he turned to Mary, who was closest to him. "I don't know him. I just met him minutes before I met you." She smiled at him.

"I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Remus." He said. "Remus Lupin."

"Mary McDonald." She said, sticking her hand out. Remus shook it.

"It's nice to meet you."

"And I'm Dorcas Meadowes." Dory said. "But don't call me Dorcas."

"Right, of course. It's nice to meet you as well."

"Why are you both being nice to him?" Sirius said.

"He's not acting like an arse, is he?" Dory asked.

"Not even a little bit." Mary said.

"He's afraid of horse." Sirius said.

"Why would you say that?" Remus sighed, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm afraid of spiders." Mary said.

"And I hate water." Dory said. Then she looked at Sirius and added, "Which you already know."

"It's a stupid thing to be afraid of." Sirius said.

"Well, you teasing me about it when we were children didn't make it any better." She shoved him. "You're an arse. Don't let him bother you Remus. You seem like a decent person."

"Thank you, Dory." Remus smiled. "And James is far worse than Sirius is."

"I highly doubt that." Dory laughed. "Sirius once chopped off a girl's hair. All of it. Or, nearly all of it. For a prank."

"That's horrible." Remus said, looking over at Sirius. "Why would you do that?"

"Firstly, the girl was my cousin. Secondly, she's a horrid bitch and she deserved it."

"Doesn't she live with the king now?" Dory asked.

"Yes." Sirius sighed. "Bella has done well for herself."

"Lady Bellatrix is your cousin?" Remus asked. "Then I have two things wrong with what you just said. Firstly," He mocked. "Bellatrix has been nothing but kind to me since I arrived in Camelot. Secondly, she's living with the king because the Great Purge left her orphaned."

"She was rather horrible as a child." Dory said reluctantly. "But I refuse to defend the other thing he said. I don't think anyone _deserves_ to have their hair chopped off while they sleep."

"Your turn." Mary said, poking Remus in the shoulder. "What's something completely arse like that James has done?"

"Where should I start?"

"Are you talking about me back there?" James called back. "I can hear you, you know."

"I'm talking about a different James." Remus called back. "This guy's a real prat, nothing like you, your majesty." James turned around as much as he could while sitting on his horse and glared at Remus.

"I bet he's a really fantastic bloke once you get to know him." James said.

"Not in my experience." Remus sighed, Sirius and the girls laughed. James grinned and shook his head. "Anyway, how about I tell you about the first time I met him."

"Sounds like it could be good." Dory said with a nod.

"In my defense-"

"No." Remus cut him off and James just nodded.

oOoOo

James couldn't believe that he was walking beside Lancelot. The _great_ and _mysterious_ Lancelot. He had gone out today on a whim, hoping to run into someone who could give him a wisp of information and instead he found him and got him to return to the castle. He really should have talked to his dad about this beforehand, he just hadn't expected for it to go this way.

The two of them, having left the other four in the courtyard, made their way to the Great Hall where James had asked his dad to meet them.

"I have a question before we go and speak to the king." Lancelot said, stopping in the middle of the corridor. James nodded and turned back to face him. "Aren't you in charge of the knights?"

"Yes. I recruit and train all of them myself."

"Then why do I have to meet the King to become a knight?"

"You don't have to be nervous about it." James laughed. "He just wants to meet you. You're something of a legend around here. Also, there is a law that he's going to have to overlook for you to become a knight." James turned around and started walking again. He hated explaining this to people, especially people who the law shouldn't apply to.

"Wait, what? What law?" James stopped walking and turned around again.

"There is this law that says only men of noble descent can become knights of Camelot."

"But why?"

"It has to do with trust and dignity, but I think it's outdated and I think we can persuade my father to turn a blind eye in this situation."

"Turn a blind eye? You mean give me special treatment? I don't want that."

"I want to abolish the law." James said resolutely. "I don't want to only get to choose my knights from a fraction of the men in this kingdom who my father has deemed fit. Unfortunately, he won't listen to reason so maybe we can show it to him."

"I think I'm alright with helping you _change_ the law. But I don't want to be an _exception_ to the law."

"I understand." James nodded. He wasn't sure if that was going to be possible, but maybe Lancelot wouldn't have to find out about that. "But my father isn't the type of man that will just change something. We'll need to get him to make an exception and then I'll keep talking to him about how it worked out so well and… Well, hopefully together, we'll be able to change his mind."

"Alright, but I'm still uncomfortable about this. I don't like people treating me differently."

"I got that feeling when I was told you don't take your helmet off." James ran a hand through his hair. "Hiding something right? Something that people wouldn't accept if they saw it?"

Lance was quiet for a moment and then nodded. "It's definitely easier this way." He said quietly.

A few moments later, they were both walking through the doors and up to the king's throne. The throne room was lavish and whenever Remus was there, he always made some crack about not being able to breathe because it was stuffy and James always rolled his eyes or shoved him, but he secretly agreed. There were too many flowers for the small space and the perfume smell was overwhelming. There were also god awful tapestries hanging on the walls. There were normal ones that you'd expect to see, like a portrait of James' mother and father, then one of James and his father, but then there were some strange ones; an old woman in a strange white robe was James' personal favorite. She was holding an empty wine glass and looked as though she were in the middle of singing. He couldn't see Lance's face, but he could imagine the expression that he was currently wearing.

"What is this about, James? You know that I'm very busy this week. I was in a meeting with Lord Malfoy when you had a knight come and fetch me, this better be important." His father said, barely glancing in Lancelot's direction.

"It sounds like I did you a service getting you away from Malfoy. Father, I'd like to present Lancelot." He gestured towards him. "He's the man who has been-"

"Yes, I know who he is. He's the man that's been making a mockery out of you and your knights, James. What is he doing here?" James was slightly taken aback. His father never was one to hold back on criticism, but he didn't normally talk to him like that in front of people. He took a deep breath and tried to smile.

"I thought it would be a good idea to introduce him to the knights."

"And why is that a good idea?"

"Okay, I'm sorry." James said. "Is something wrong?"

"You asked me to wait for you in the Great Hall, only to introduce me to someone that I could care less about. That seems wrong to me." James was affronted. He stepped forward.

"Dad? Did I do something wrong?"

"I just said you did." The king threw both hands in the air and pulled at his hair. Then he stood up. "I'm leaving now. If you get any other brilliant idea's tell someone else."

James stood there for a moment completely shocked. Even on his worst day, the king would never talk to James like that when there were other people in the room. And he would never tell him outright that his ideas were _stupid_ regardless of whether or not there were people around.

Lancelot stayed quiet. James wasn't sure if he appreciated that or not. On the one hand, he didn't know how he would have defended his father's crass words, but on the other, he'd have liked the opportunity to try. So he did, without being prompted to.

"I apologize for his rudeness. He doesn't normally act like this." James said, looking at the ground, and then the wall behind Lancelot. "We're going to carry on as though he hadn't just… Let's go down to the training grounds. I have a couple knights who haven't stopped talking about your for months."

"Look, your highness, I don't want to cause trouble for you or your father. I should leave. It would make everyone happier. Mary and Dory included and-"

"No," James put his hands up and looked at him, trying to get a good angle so he could see his eyes through his helmet. "I know that this was discouraging, but I'll talk to him later. Everything will be fine. Lord Malfoy probably just put him in a bad mood or something. If you ever met the man, you would completely understand."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He said with as much conviction as he could, knowing that his father never let Malfoy put him in a bad mood. He was the kind of man that let the Lord's angry words roll off him if he thought they held no merit, and that was most of the time. So, James squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, "Let's go."

oOoOo

"Everyone gather around." James called out, now looking much more confident than he had walking out of the castle. He hadn't told Remus what had happened, but he was pretty sure the king had said no. James always had pretty much the same look whenever his father said no to him, which wasn't often, but it was a look that Remus had familiarized himself with. He was normally in a very bad mood for several hours after and Remus usually went and found Lily while he worked through his problems.

When the knights had circled around him, James grinned. "This is Lancelot." He motioned to the man, still wearing a helmet. Lance nodded his head, his hands resting on the handle of his sword.

"Really?" Arden asked, pushing his way to the front of the crowd. "You're Lancelot, _the_ Lancelot?"

"That would be me." He nodded, and Remus could hear the grin on the man's face. Arden laughed and, _almost_ started jumping. He looked like he really wanted to, but Amos and Frank were flanking him and probably never would have let him live it down if he had. He did still look like a small child on Christmas though.

"That's pathetic." Mary said, rolling her eyes from next to Remus. "He's going to pee himself."

"Arden's a big fan." Remus shrugged, not liking Mary saying anything against Arden. The knights could be real prats, and they were most of the time, but they were Remus' prats now and he had, unwittingly, grown fond some of them. Mary shrugged and crossed her arms.

"I told you he was real." Arden said, turning around and jabbing a finger at Amos. "I knew it, and you owe me ten silvers."

"Alright, alright. There's no need for that." Amos said, his cheeks slightly red. Remus laughed. "It's nice to finally meet you, Lancelot. I'm Amos Diggory. We've all heard a lot about you. Mostly from Ardy here, but still. You come with some fairly impressive stories."

"It's actually _Arden_. Not Ardy. Arden Weasley." He said, sticking his hand out, pushing Amos's out of the way in the process. Lance laughed and took it, giving it a hearty shake. "And they're not stories, Amos. They are recounts of true events." Arden said, giving Amos the side-eye.

"Actually, I hate to say it, but I am willing to bet that some of them are just stories. People have kind of become taken with me and made things up. For example, I've never single handedly taken a dragon. Nor am I part dragon." The knights all laughed.

"He's going to fit right in, isn't he?" Dory laughed.

"Looks like it." Mary agreed.

"You three are really close, aren't you?" Remus asked.

"Yes." Mary said, giving a slight shrug despite her confident answer. "I didn't grow up with Dory like- Wait a minute. Where is that, prat?"

"You mean Sirius?" Remus asked, looking around. He didn't see him either, even though he had been standing next to him not five minutes ago.

"I've fought a dragon before." The man in question said from the other side of the knights. "I didn't kill it, but it also didn't kill me."

"And who are you?" Amos said, using the voice he used when he was talking to people he deemed a waste of his time. Remus was quite familiar with that voice.

"That's Sirius Black, he helped me find Lancelot." James said, looking like he didn't quite know what to do about Sirius. They had only just met him in the woods a couple hours ago, and he had introduced himself as a borderline criminal.

"Black, eh?" Arden asked. "Any relation to-"

"Yeah, Bella's my cousin." Sirius said, waving his hand dismissively. "But we're talking about-"

" _Sirius_ Black?" Fabian asked, stepping up. "The disinherited, drunk that spends all his time in taverns robbing people of their money?"

"I've never robbed anyone." Sirius said, his easy smile that had been on his face since Remus met him slipping away. "And I'm _not_ a drunk."

"No." Gideon laughed from next to Fabian. "You just sit in the taverns all day and twiddle your thumbs or knit scarves."

"Who are you?" Sirius asked, his hands going to where his sword would have been, if he had been in possession of one. "Who are you two?"

"Gideon and-"

"Fabian Prewett." The other finished. "Knights of the Camelot and _inherited_ nobles."

"Fabulous. Someone give me a sword and I'll take both of you, right here and now. I'll show you just how much your status is worth."

"Ha, you don't actually think you can do that, do you?" Fabian laughed. "We're knights of Camelot."

"And I'm a disinherited drunk." Sirius sneered. "Get me a sword."

"Are you honestly challenging me?" Fabian asked, marching up to Sirius.

"Men," James laughed, trying to defuse the growing tension. "There's no need for this. And Sirius, you were never formally-"

"Of course I'm not challenging you." Sirius said, surprising everyone by interrupting James. "I'm challenging _both_ of you."

"Both of us?" Gideon laughed. "Are you completely thick? _We're knights of Camelot_. We do nothing but train and then utilize our skills all day. You spend your days in taverns, taking petty cash from commoners."

"What makes you think you would even stand a chance?" Fabian asked.

"Excuse me." James shouted. "Apparently you three don't want to take what I say into account but I am the Prince and you will listen to me. You," He pointed a finger at Sirius. "You're a guest here and must behave unless you wish me to escort you out of the city. And you two," He glared at Fabian and Gideon. "As knights, _my_ knights, you know how you are supposed to behave around guests, even difficult ones." Another glare at Sirius. Remus was surprised at his outburst. In the months that he's been working for James, he'd never once seen him shout at his knights. And they had done some very stupid things too. "Apologize." He demanded of Fabian and Gideon. Both of them looked shocked. Actually, most of the knights looked fairly shocked. "You were mocking him, apologize." He explained further.

"He started it." Fabian said, childishly.

"Either you apologize or you accept his challenge." James countered. "Those are your options."

"Then we accept." Gideon said quickly.

"I hope you're prepared to lose." Fabian sneered.

"I assure you that this doesn't happen on a regular basis." James said to Lancelot.

"Don't worry about it." Dory said, un-strapping her sheath and sword. "Sirius is known for bringing out the worst in people. Here," She tossed her belt to Sirius.

"Thanks." He said with a wink, then fastened it around his waist.

"No comments about how it's a girl's blade?"

"I was teasing earlier." Sirius laughed. "But I'm not stupid. I know not to mock the only ally I've got." Dory shook her head but she was grinning.

As the three competitors made their way down away from the crowd, Remus looked at James. He could tell that the prince was curious as to what was about to happen. There wasn't a man in Camelot stupid enough to take on one of James' knights and Sirius had marched up and challenged two of them without so much as batting an eye. Moreover, they were two of the bigger more intimidating knights. Sirius just wasn't afraid, and that had James intrigued. Remus thought that it was the only reason that he hadn't told Sirius to leave already.

Sirius unsheathed Dory's blade and swung it around a couple of times, getting a feel for it. Standing next to Mary and Dory, Remus heard Mary whisper, "I know I should want the knights to win, but is Sirius any good?"

"Unless his arms are broken or randomly fall off in the middle of the fight, I don't see him losing." Dory said, looking an odd combination of proud and displeased. "He's always been really good. When we were kids, his sword was practically a third arm. I was only joking earlier when I was saying we could beat him."

"Is he always like this?" Remus asked.

"Is he always loud, intimidating and prideful?" Dory asked with a laugh. "I haven't seen him in a few years, but I can't picture him any other way."

"The rules will be the same as always." James said, now not even attempting to look upset. "Last man or in this case, men, standing will be deemed the winner. No fatal blows and try not to make anyone bleed all that much either."

"Sire, he's not even wearing any armor." Fabian said, motioning to Sirius.

"I was robbed." Sirius explained with a shrug. "Not that the armor I had was any good. I'll be fine."

"He says that he's good." James said. "Sirius, are you sure that you want to fight both of them at the same time?"

"Of course I'm sure!" He shouted. "Honestly, you're all acting as though this is going to be difficult for me." Gideon couldn't take any more of Sirius's arrogance and threw the first blow. Sirius let out a bark of laughter as Gideon's sword collided with his own. "Now we're talking!"

He looked completely thrilled, which made Remus laugh, because Fabian and Gideon looked near furious. It was a humorous contradiction.

The Prewett brothers tried their hardest to hit him again and again, and every time Sirius would block their swing with one of his own or dodge out of the way with another laugh. It went on for a long time, until all the knights stopped cheering for the twins and Sirius said, "You boys had enough? I think it's time I stopped messing with you." He launched forward and swung his sword around towards Gideon, now not only matching blow for blow, but adding in his own and causing the twins to step back.

Within minutes, he had rid both knights of their swords, not bothering with James' rules. Once both swords were on the ground, Sirius laughed and turned to James. "I thought they were supposed to be the best in the kingdom?"

Instead of looking offended, James grinned. "Where have you been hiding, Black?"

"Sirius." He corrected. "And I've been around."

"Why aren't you a knight?"

"You need to be a noble to be a knight." Sirius said. "And I am not. Plus, if I was a knight, I'd have to hang around these prats." He jerked his thumb in the Prewett's direction.

"They're good men." James shrugged. "Just a bit prideful. Same as you."

"I don't like people like me." Sirius said with a shrug. "Now, can one of you fine men point me in the direction of a tavern? I don't believe I'm needed here anymore. Plus, I'd like to get out of here before my cousin comes round."

"There's one just down the road, if you pass the house with the pigs out front, you went too far." Remus answered, pointing down a nearby road.

"Why don't you want to see Bella?" James asked, squinting slightly. "I'm sure she wouldn't object to seeing a friendly face."

"I'd rather not say why, mate. And she _would_ object to seeing me no matter how friendly my face." Sirius grinned. "It was nice to meet all of you. Some more than others." He winked at Remus, tossed Dory her sword and then took off in the direction Remus had gestured.

"You think he'll stick around?" Remus asked Dory.

"Mate, I've told you that I don't know him very well anymore. We were friends as kids, then he left and-"

"Why'd he leave?" James asked, joining them.

"Rude." Mary said.

"Sorry for interrupting." James said, rolling his eyes. Then he turned to Remus and sighed. "You see what you did to me? People aren't allowed to talk to me like this and I'm allowing it."

"You could throw them in prison like you did with me." Remus shrugged. "We both know how well that worked out for you."

"You ended up saving my life and now you're my maid."

"Servant."

"Whatever." James turned back to Dory. "Why did Sirius leave home?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "And not to show any disrespect, but I wouldn't tell you if I did. Whatever went on between Sirius and his family is between Sirius and his family. But he's a good bloke, for the most part, and he's had a rough life. He deserves better."

And that was that.

oOoOo

Lily was currently hiding in the stables, as many of the castle servants did, trying to rest her feet for a moment or two before she had to run back upstairs and tend to Bellatrix. It wasn't that she didn't like being Lady Bella's maid, it was just tiresome. Always having to sew something, or fetch dinner, or wash clothes, or clean something. _Then_ having to go home and do it all over again.

"You know," She said to one of the stable boys, the quiet one named Peter. "You're not a bad story teller." He had just finished telling her the events that had transpired between Lord Nott and Lord Avery the day before. They had been discussing the current state of the king's health and had digressed into a petty argument about whose horse was faster. The whole thing ended in a half-drunken race and both of them on their asses.

Peter blushed at her compliment and mumbled a thank you. Lily sighed and stood up from the bushel of hay she had been sitting on, figuring that it was about time she went back to work.

"Thanks for the entertainment," She said. "But I'm afraid that I have to get back up to the castle."

"Of course." Peter mumbled, as he usually did when he was talking to Lily. He would talk more animatedly while telling her stories, but as soon as he was done, he reverted to his quiet, shy self. "I'll see you the next time you visit."

"It will be soon. The king is getting on Bella for all sorts of different reasons and being in the castle for too long is driving me round the twist. I'll probably even come down tomorrow." She smiled at him again. He smiled back, but didn't say anything else.

"Oi!" Someone called. Both Lily and Peter turned to see which one of them was being addressed. A large man dressed in armor, but not the armor that the knights wore, walked towards them, entering through a set of doors at the other end of the stable. "You boy, I told you to have my horse ready for me at three o'clock exactly. It's now five after and I don't see my horse anywhere."

"Sir Yaxley," Peter blanched and rushed up to one of the many stalls. "I have-"

The man reached out and grabbed hold of Peter's arm. "I don't want to hear your excuses, you pathetic man. I want my horse." He started to twist Peter's arm, making him cry out in pain. "If I ask you to do something, I expect it to be done. Now, what am I going to have to do to impress this fact upon y-"

"Let go of him." Lily said firmly, walking up and placing an arm on the man's shoulder. "Let go of him, right now."

The man released Peter's arm immediately, mostly out of shock, and turned to face Lily. She pushed her shoulders back and looked him in the eyes, taking only a small step back. She could still feel his breath hitting her face, it was hot and thick with the scent of tobacco.

"If you would wait a moment and listen to him, he was about to tell you that he had your horse ready for the last thirty minutes and he was simply waiting for you to arrive before getting him out."

"And who are you?" He asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Lily," She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Lily Evans."

"Evans?" He spat. "That's the name of the blacksmith, no?" She nodded. "And why does a blacksmith's daughter think that it's okay to talk to a nobleman?"

"You were hurting my friend." Lily said, trying to keep her temper under control. She hated that the nobles thought they could treat the 'common' folk like dirt, pushing them around and shouting at them whenever it tickled their fancy. It made Lily's blood boil, and Lord Yaxley wasn't on the king's good side, so the odds of her getting into trouble over shouting at him were slim, at least as far as her job was concerned.

"Lily," Peter said quietly. "You don't have to-"

"Shut up, boy." Yaxley snapped. Peter jumped and pressed his lips together tightly. "I don't care what I was doing, you don't seem to understand that as a peasant, you don't have the right to talk to me. Or tell me what I can or cannot do."

Before the threat came out of her mouth, she knew she was going to regret it. She knew that it wasn't at all appropriate, but she didn't care. That's what her temper did to her. It made her careless and reckless. It was one of the things she had to be extremely careful about when she was in the castle. Holding it in all the time, however, was impossible. So she drew herself up to full height and took as step towards Yaxley. "I'm sure Prince James wouldn't appreciate finding out that one of the nobles is taking pleasure in terrorizing his stable boy. Especially not after the rumors you've been spreading about his father for the last few weeks."

For a moment, Yaxley looked very furious at what Lily had said. Then he seemed to remember who she was and started laughing. "Even if James did care, what are you going to do? Go wait up at the castle for an audience with him?"

"I'm Lady Bellatrix's maid." Lily said, finding that in this instance, her position was slightly impressive, even to Lord Yaxley. "I wouldn't have to wait for an audience."

This time, Yaxley took a step closer to her and hissed, "And does the _King_ know that you hold yourself in such high esteem?" To which Lily had nothing to say. "The next time you want to start something with me, I suggest you think twice. I don't have to go to the Prince to get my point across. Do you understand what I'm saying?" He turned sharply towards Peter. "My horse. Or are you actually as stupid as you look?" Peter scrambled towards the stall and returned a moment later with his horse.

As Yaxley turned to walk away, Lily couldn't stop one last angry retort from slipping out of her mouth. "I may just be a lowly maid and the daughter of a blacksmith," She said, trying her best to sound airy and unconcerned. "But at least I don't have some sick need to validate myself by insulting and threatening others." Yaxley turned back, his mouth open and ready to yell at her, but she didn't give him the chance. "Leave my family alone. If something happens to them, everyone will know that it was you and I'll make sure that you're held responsible." She turned and then walked briskly out of the stable, not pausing to listen to his angry shouts for her to come back.

oOoOo

"Remus," Dumbledore said in a tone that suggested that he was pleasantly surprised to see him, even though Remus had walked through the door at the same time for the last three months or so.

"Hullo." Remus smiled, though baffled by the surprise in Dumbledore's voice, he was not at all annoyed by it. It was nice to have someone always so happy to see you.

"Busy day?"

"More so than usual." Remus nodded, tossing his bag onto the table and sitting down. "We found Lancelot today. And Sirius Black."

"Two men whose names come with a long list of stories."

"Yeah," Remus nodded. "I'm not sure who I like more. Sirius is definitely entertaining. He challenged Fabian and Gideon both to a duel, at the same time, and then won. Using a sword that wasn't his and after spending the night in the woods. He might have been hung-over still as well now that I think about it."

"Impressive." Dumbledore said, bringing two bowls of soup and a few biscuits over to the table. "It would seem that his reputation is not a lie. And what about Lancelot?"

"Well, I haven't seen him fight anyone, but James has asked him to become a knight so it's only just a matter of time I suppose. He seems like an alright bloke though. A lot quieter than Sirius, but that doesn't mean that he's quiet. It just means that Sirius is very loud."

"And is Sirius to become a knight as well?"

"Nah. Though, he fights better than most knights, if today's display was anything to go on." Remus shrugged. "It didn't seem interested in becoming a knight. He was more interested in heading off to the tavern."

"Well, maybe he has a different profession in mind."

"Maybe." Remus allowed, though he didn't think Sirius thought of doing much else besides drinking. He looked at Dumbledore and the old man smiled at him. They had an easy relationship and Remus was starting to think of him as a Grandfather, or father even. He was always there to listen to Remus and help him work through his problems, he made sure that he was clothed and fed and taken care of and it was nice.

Dumbledore was quiet for a moment as both of them eat their dinner.

"I've got something for you." He said, after they had finished their soup and put their dishes away.

"What for?" Remus asked, curiously.

"I'm afraid we've both been neglecting your gift. A mistake that could end up costing us both dearly if we don't fix it."

"My gift?" Remus said, quite perplexed. "Oh, you mean my magic?"

"Yes." Dumbledore said with a smile. "I mean your magic." He walked over to a bookshelf and pulled a large, thick, old book down and then walked over to Remus. "This is a book of magic spells."

Remus's eyes widened as he looked between the book and the man holding it. "But those are banned." He said. "If the king knew that you had that, he'd have your head."

"More than likely." Dumbledore nodded. "But during the purge, I just couldn't bear to part with it. I was afraid that if I did, I would regret it. I kept it in hopes that it would someday prove to be useful to me." He set the book down on the table, directly in front of Remus. "But I don't have your gift, as much as I wish I did. My magic is a simple parlor trick in comparison. I want you to have this."

A strange surge of excitement sprung up in Remus's stomach and his face split into a grin. "I can't believe this." He said. "I really can't believe it. I'm going to learn about magic."

"All I ask," Dumbledore said, also smiling. "Is that you keep the book, and yourself, safe. Both are extremely precious to me."

"Of course." Remus nodded. "I'll keep the book in my room. And I'll only practice magic here."

"Good." He nodded. "Now, open it up and try a spell or two." He waved his hands excitedly to hurry Remus on. Remus didn't need any prodding though, he was excited enough all on his own.

The first page he flipped to was a spell on how to force inanimate objects towards you so that they were within grasp. When Remus said the incantation while looking at a jar of mint leaves on the other side of the room, the jar sped through the air and stopped just in front of him. Dumbledore shook his head slightly and looked very impressed.

"On the first try." He muttered. "He didn't even have to practice." Then in a normal voice he said to Remus, "Well, try something else now."

"Of course." Remus laughed. "This is brilliant."

* * *

 **AN: I should have posted this last week, but I've had so many papers and exams that I just didn't have time to edit it.**

 **Anyway, reviews are appreciated, as always. :)**


	6. A Smitten Prince

_**The proud will die with or without love, but with love they will have a reason to live.**_

 _Unknown_

 **Chapter Six: A Smitten Prince**

Lily never had much of a problem with Lady Bellatrix. She was kind more often than not, had a fairly even head on her shoulders and treated Lily as though she were a friend. A friend that had to wait on her hand and foot, but a friend nonetheless.

It was days like today however, that made Bellatrix, Lily's least favorite person in the kingdom. It wasn't Bellatrix's fault, per say, that her gown didn't fit her properly. It needed to be re-hemmed and there was a tear in it for some reason, so Lily was spending her evening at home, still working. She hadn't gotten a chance to make dinner, she hadn't fed the chickens or done the laundry, she was just stitching up the damned gown and pricking her fingers almost constantly because she was finding it hard to focus and couldn't find her thimble.

"Lily?" Her father called from the front door, he peeked his head inside and saw her sitting at the table with a basket of thread at her side and her lap covered in colorful silk. "Late night?"

"I don't know if I'm going to get to sleep tonight." Lily sighed, allowing her head to fall against the wall. "She needs the dress fixed by morning. Apparently there's going to be some visitor. I tried taking it to the stitchery, but Madam Malkin has orders coming out her ears and said that she couldn't have it fixed by the morning. So here I am."

"Well, a visitor will be exciting at least." David Evans smiled, walking over to the stove and checking, somewhat discreetly, for his dinner. Lily felt guilty. "Is your sister not home yet?"

"She was a few minutes ago," Lily said, focusing on her stitching now. "But I don't know where she is now." As though summoned by her name, Petunia Evans walked into the small kitchen just then, her hair pulled back into a tight bun, her clothes spotlessly clean, and her face free of any dirt or grime.

"Is supper ready?" She asked by way of greeting, casting a disdainful look in Lily's direction. Lily bit her lip and looked at her father, who looked a bit bewildered himself. He never quite worked out how to raise two daughters on his own. Especially two daughters that didn't get along very well.

"Petunia," David said carefully, trying not to rile her up. "Lily's had a long day in the castle, and she has to have that dress fixed up by tomorrow morning. She didn't have any time to make dinner tonight."

"That's alright, Papa." She smiled, walking over and planting a kiss on his cheek. "I was going to go to Yvette's anyhow." She grabbed her shall from the hook by the door and draped it around her shoulders.

"Now, Petty," David clenched his fists at his sides and took a deep breath. "Don't you think you could make dinner for your sister and myself? We've both been working all day, what have you been up to?"

"I hardly think what Lily does counts as work." Petunia said, rolling her eyes, but still smiling. "Running around with the King's ward, playing up in the castle and attending feasts."

"Petunia," David's voice got softer. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Darling girl, I love you to the moon, you know that, but you have to start pulling your weight around the house. You can't just keep running in and out as you please, visiting with your friends all the time. If you're not going to get a job then you need to be at home, cooking and cleaning."

Petunia's jaw went tight and she blinked rapidly. "Yes, father. Of course. What was I thinking?" She quickly swept the cloak from her shoulders and hung it back on the hook. "What shall we have? Soup? That seems to be the only option because of how little food we have in the house."

"Petunia!" Lily pushed the gown onto the table and got to her feet. "Get out." Lily said, walking over and taking the paring knife from Petunia's hand and slamming it onto the counter. "Get out. Go to Yvette's or Caroline's or wherever else you go, but just get out." She huffed and brushed the sides of her dress. "I'm sorry I didn't have dinner made already, father."

"Lily-"

"It's fine." Lily said, trying not to snap.

"Petty-"

"Don't even bother." Petunia interrupted. "We both know she's your favorite anyway." This time she didn't even pause to grab her cloak before she was out of the house.

Later that night, quite later, once dinner had been ate and the dress had been sewn, Lily decided to go for a walk near the creek that ran along one of the castle walls. Before she could even begin to dwell on her sister, she was startled by none other than Prince James.

"Lily?" James called out, squinting his eyes in the dark in an attempt to make her more visible. "Is that you?"

"Your highness," She dropped into a low curtsy and willed the blood that rushed to her cheeks to dissipate. Not that James would have been able to tell anyway; the sun had set hours ago and the moon was hardly full.

James laughed at her greeting. "Why so formal?"

Lily looked behind her, noting that they were the only two around. "I still find it strange that you wish to be addressed differently."

"Does Bella make you talk to her like that?"

"She doesn't make me," Lily said with a shrug, "But it's what's expected. It's respectful and polite." She almost wished that she had just gone to bed. It wasn't that she didn't like the prince, he was alright, especially now that Remus had got through to him, but she didn't really want to be around anyone at the moment. She needed some space to clear her head, it had been a long day between Lord Yaxley, the sewing and Petunia.

"Well," He took a step closer to her and she could see the grin on his face. "Pretend I'm Remus. You certainly wouldn't talk to that fool so formally."

"Remus is a lot of things; kind, caring, generous, but he is not a _fool_." Having been so used to defending Remus to the other servants in the castle, her response was a quick one, and came out a bit harsh. James' grin was replaced with a frown. Lily couldn't find it in her to care though, she was exhausted and she still felt as though Remus was a far better friend than she deserved.

"No, of course not." He said quietly. "He's quite bright actually. Seems to have found a way to win your favor."

"Remus and I are friends." Lily said, again thankful that it was dark. She didn't know why the thought of her and Remus being anything more than friends was eliciting this kind of reaction from the Prince. Or herself for that matter.

"It's none of my business." And then she felt slightly thick, because she had known before that the prince was slightly interested in her, how could she not with all the times she had caught him staring at her, or been on the receiving end of high praise for doing nothing in particular. She took a deep breath and crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping that the following conversation wouldn't be too awkward.

"Well, I know that it's none of your business, but I don't want you to have the wrong impression." She saw the corner of James' mouth twitch upward and he looked up at her through his lashes.

"And why not?" Her stomach dropped. She couldn't tell him the truth, that she was only reassuring him because he seemed like he wanted her too. She didn't want to embarrass him, or overstep her boundaries, no matter how many times he claimed that he wanted her to be informal with him.

"Well," She could let him think that she fancied him. All the girls in the kingdom did, what would it really matter. Or, she could make a joke out of it. The latter of which would preserve her pride. "I'm still holding out on my dream to be Queen of Camelot one day. Wouldn't want you telling your father that I'm seeing someone on the side now, would I?"

James laughed and Lily let out a sigh of relief. "You're planning to marry my father then?"

"He doesn't know yet." Lily said, pushing her hair away from her face and keeping her grin firmly in place. "So, if we could keep this between the two of us." James took a step towards her and leant over so his mouth was near her ear.

"It's our little secret."

"Thank you." James pulled away and looked down at the creek. "You and Remus are awfully close though." She raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. He sure was hung up on Remus.

"Yes." Lily gave a sharp nod. "I've sort of taken him in, I suppose. He was new, didn't know anyone and I didn't really have any friends myself. I needed someone to talk to and someone had to show him the ropes around here." James raised his brow at her and Lily laughed. "Not that I want to take credit for how he behaves as your servant. He's worked out how to do that job all on his own I'm afraid."

"Yes, well, maybe you could give him a few pointers." James grinned.

"You don't actually want me to do that." Lily said.

"Oh? And why not?"

"Because you like having Remus as a friend."

"Do I?"

"Yes. Of course you do. Everyone does. And if I went and taught him how to behave properly around you, then you two wouldn't be friends anymore. You would be his prince, and he your servant. You would both hate that."

"Remus would quit." James agreed.

Lily laughed. "You would fire him."

"You have a pretty laugh." James said suddenly. Lily blinked rapidly and looked at him.

"Thank you, sir."

"James."

"Sorry. Thank you…" Lily swallowed, "James."

"You're welcome, Lily."

"I have something to confess to you." Lily said quietly, quite suddenly remembering the fight that she had started with Lord Yaxley in the stables earlier that day and the threats that she had made. He was being so nice to her, maybe a bit _too_ nice, and she had used her connection with him to gain the upper hand in a petty argument with a horrible man. Also, she was hoping to change the subject to something couldn't be at all flirty. James' eyes snapped to hers and he took a step closer a slight smile forming on his lips. "It's just, I think you should know something."

"And what would that be." He reached out and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. She froze for a moment and stared at him with wide eyes. She had still thought she had been being foolish before, but… Prince James, he wasn't just interested, he _fancied_ her.

His face was dangerously close to Lily's, his hand snaked around to the base of her neck and she didn't know what to do. He was the prince. She couldn't say 'no' to him, could she? What would he do to her if she did? Would he have Bellatrix fire her? Would he banish her? He was quite prideful after all. She didn't know what he would do.

James must have noticed the panicked look in her eyes because he froze just before their noses would have brushed against one another, looking quite dazed. "What is it?" He said quietly, his hand now resting on her shoulder. Lily however, couldn't quite work out how to breathe. He couldn't fancy her. She was a servant and he was the bloody prince. Weren't suitors supposed to start showing up soon?

She put her hand on top of his and tried to smile. "I think your feelings are slightly misguided, sir." She put slightly more emphasis on the 'sir' and took a small step back.

"Misguided?" He said, searching her face. "I think I'm the only one that gets to decide something like that."

"I think your father would have another opinion." She said, pulling his hand down from her shoulder and stepping further away. "I'm flattered, but… You're to be king one day and I- Well, I'm a servant. If anything were to happen and someone found out, it wouldn't be good for either of us."

"I have no interest is secret affairs, and I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"I'm afraid," Lily took a deep breath and shrugged slightly. "That it would be out of your control. There are laws-"

"Laws can be change."

"You've given this quite a bit of thought, haven't you?" Lily said, growing more and more anxious by the minute. He nodded fervently and took her hands in his, tracing his thumb along the back.

"I've tried to keep my distance, I've tried to remind myself that there would never be a situation where my father would be okay with this, I've reminded myself that I'm to be married to some princess from some other kingdom, but I don't care, Lily. All I can think about is _you._ And I came out here to clear my head and you just _happen_ to show up? That can't be a coincidence." She could feel her heart in her throat and her stomach clench up. She was very close to getting sick all over the prince. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

She froze all over again, mouth agape and eyes wide, quite like a fish. James' face fell slightly and his grip on her hands loosened.

"Was that not what you were going to say earlier?" He asked quietly.

"Well," Lily squeezed his hands, still thinking in terms of preserving his feelings. "You have to understand, you're my prince. I would never have the nerve to say anything along those lines to you while in my current position. Not first at any rate." He started to grin and she cursed herself to hell. She needed to stop making him smile. She needed to let him down easy and rush back home, where she could bury herself in her bed and never come out again. Petunia would have to get a job and she could pretend her back was broken or something. She would never have to see James again. "Sir-"

"Then what were you going to say?"

"I don't think it's all that important at the moment. I can tell you about it later." He nodded and she figured she should try something to get out of answering his previous question before he asked it again. "It's getting late." She said. "If I don't head home now, my dad will have half the town out looking for me."

"Right! Of course." James ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Let me walk you."

"Oh." Lily bit her lip. "That's not necessary."

"I insist."

"Really-"

"I'm not letting you walk through town alone. Especially not at this time of night."

"It's not far."

"Lily," He cocked his head to the side and offered her his arm. She sighed and laced her arm through his. He grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb along the back.

The walk back was quiet and Lily spent it counting the steps until they reached the house. When they finally arrived, Lily noticed that there was still a light on inside. "This is me." She said, much louder than she needed to while withdrawing her arm from James'. He kept hold of her hand, causing her to spin back around so she was facing him. He put his other hand under her chin and tilted her head up towards his.

"We can work this out, Lily." He said quietly. "We can work everything out, I know we can." Lily's smile was tight, but James didn't seem to notice. He was smiling much more genuinely than she was and leaning closer. He was going to kiss her.

"Lils, is that you?" Her dad opened the door and Lily let out a sigh of relief. She stayed frozen where she was while James took a few steps away.

"Evening, Sir." He nodded at Mr. Evans.

"Your highness." He dropped into a bow.

"I just wanted to make sure your daughter made it home safely."

"Thank you very much, Sir."

"It was no trouble at all." Lily still had not moved. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lily." He said, nodding in her direction. Lily forced herself to give him something that hopefully resembled a smile, and then he winked at her and left.

Her dad walked out to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "You alright, flower?"

"I have no idea what just happened." She said softly. "Dad, the prince fancies me."

oOoOo

Sirius had taken quite a liking to Camelot. For one thing, there didn't seem to be an end to the men who were willing to gamble their money away. He had been here for almost an entire month and still had a steady stream of challengers, many of whom were knights. Arden and Remus seemed to be the only friends he could find though.

"You don't drink much, do you?" He asked Remus, who was wincing spectacularly as he tried to drink the liquid that Sirius had just bought for him.

"There wasn't much of a tavern back home and I don't have a chance to get out much here. James always has something for me to do."

"What do you mean there wasn't a tavern back home? Where did you live? Hell?"

Remus laughed and shook his head. "Ealdor. Farm country. The closest tavern was about a two hour walk south."

"You sorry sod."

"To be honest, I never really minded." Sirius snorted into his mug as he took a drink.

"You're up at the castle all the time, no?" He asked, putting his drink down on the counter. "Have you seen Lance at all?"

"Yeah, he trains with the rest of the knights. Why?"

"He never comes in here with Arden and the lads."

"He sticks pretty close to Mary and Dorcas."

"Yeah." He nodded and took another drink.

"What is it?"

"Well, don't you think it's kind of strange that he spends all his time with two women? I mean, you're the only man I know who doesn't enjoy drinking away his worries after a long week."

"You drink every day."

"I have more worries than your average man," He said with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, I just figured that he would start hanging round the knights a bit more I suppose. Has he… you know."

"Taken off his helmet?" Remus asked. Sirius nodded, looking across the room. "Not in front of anyone. He even turned down a servant. He really likes his privacy."

"Nah, that's not it." Sirius said, turning back to look at Remus. "There has to be a reason he doesn't want anyone to see his face. I don't know what it is, but there's got to be one."

"I'm sure there is." Remus shrugged. "But it's none of our business, no? Everyone's got secrets."

"You as well?" Sirius asked. "Or is your fear of horses supposed to be a secret." Remus rolled his eyes, not even surprised that Sirius had chosen to bring that up. He brought it up as often as he could.

"You know, I'm not scared of horses. I've even made friends with the stable boy." He said, taking another sip of his beer.

"Oh really? And what's this stable boy's name?"

"Peter Pettigrew." Remus said, quite glad that he actually _had_ made friends with the boy, even if it was only so he didn't have to go into the stables. "He's a real useful friend to have. Knows absolutely everyone in the kingdom."

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment and then stood up and threw some money on the counter. "Let's go find him then."

"What? I'm not afraid of-"

"This has nothing to do with whether you are or not, but you most certainly are, afraid of horses. I want to ask him what he knows about Lancelot."

"I just finished telling you that people are entitled to their secrets and you want to go snooping around?"

"Yes."

"Would you like it if I started asking people about you?"

"No. But I'm not trying to be friends with Lancelot. And I'm not getting chummy with one of your lady friends either."

"Is that what this is about?" Remus laughed. "You fancy Dorcas?"

"What? No. I grew up with her, I'm curious as to what she's up to, but I don't fancy her. She's not really my type."

"And by that you mean she'd require too much time and effort." Remus grinned. Sirius smirked at him and nodded.

"Exactly."

With a bit more prompting, Remus was soon leading the way through town towards the stables. The sun had long since gone down and that made maneuvering through the usually crowded streets very simple. The only people still out were either on their way home or knights, making their rounds.

"Remus!" Someone called from behind them. They both turned around and saw Lily running towards them. "Remus, wait up! I need to talk to you." She was breathing heavy and looked very distressed. Remus put a hand on her shoulder and bent down so he was eye level with her.

"What's the problem?" He asked, thinking that this was an urgent matter.

"Who's he?" She asked, still trying to catch her breath and giving Sirius the side eye. "He the reason you forgot that you were supposed to help me in the laundry room tonight?" Remus stared at her without moving for a moment and then closed his eyes and lent his head back.

"I am _so_ sorry." He lamented. "It completely slipped my mind. James had me working in the armory until dark and then… I forgot."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't really care that you didn't help me wash the king's draws. I just really need to talk to you and I haven't gotten to all day and I don't know what to do and I don't think I slept at all last night and I need to tell you something."

"It sounds like she's about to tell you that she loves you, mate." Sirius said, nudging Remus's arm with his elbow.

"Who are you?" Lily asked, this time facing him.

"Sirius Black." He held out a hand and Lily shook it.

"Lily Evans." She turned back to Remus now. "He's not the only one who thinks I have feelings for you." Remus raised his brow and Lily shook her head. "That's entirely beside the point right now though. Prince James," She put her hand on her hips. "Told me that he was- He actually said that- I can't even say it."

"Was he an arse to you?" Remus asked, crossing his arms. "Because if he was-"

"No. He was a clueless prat, but he wasn't being an arse. Remus, James fancies me."

After a moment of silence Sirius started laughing. Honestly laughing. Remus on the other hand just looked at Lily like she had lost her mind.

"That's what all this is about?" He asked, once Sirius had calmed down.

"Yes." Lily nodded. "He told me that he was going to talk to his father and what not. He had this all planned out. He never even asked _me_ how _I_ feel about it."

"You want to be a maid the rest of your life?" Sirius asked. "Or do you want to be Queen?"

"Shut it." Remus snapped. "Lily, James has fancied you since before I moved here. And you know him, he doesn't think before acting. I'll talk to him, alright?"

"That would be wonderful." She threw her arms around him. Remus staggered back a bit before catching his balance. She pulled back, but not before kissing his cheek. "I should be getting home now. Thank you so much." She patted his cheek and then turned around and headed off home.

Remus watched her go and a feeling of dread washed over him. A feeling that Sirius seemed to pick up on.

"You're in trouble there, mate." Sirius let out a low whistle and ran a hand through his hair. "How do you think James will take this?"

"She doesn't fancy me." Remus said, touching his hand to his cheek. "We're just mates."

"She kissed you."

"On the cheek."

"Oh Remus," His voice changed to a falsetto, "Thank you so much." He put a hand on Remus's shoulder and batted his eyelashes at him. "You're completely right. She doesn't fancy you at all."

"Who fancies Remus?" Remus and Sirius both jumped slightly, spinning around to find James walking towards them.

"No one." Remus said quickly.

"Aw, mate. I'm sure someone out there fancies you." He clapped a hand on his back and Sirius started laughing, though for an entirely different reason then James thought.

"Thanks." Remus muttered. "Speaking of fancying people…" He cocked his head in James' direction.

"Did she say anything to you?" He asked, not noticing that Remus was trying to give him a disapproving look. "What did she say, I haven't seen her all day."

"James, leave her alone." Remus sighed. "You have a tendency to come on a bit strong mate, you're scaring her."

"I am not." He scoffed. "She said the feelings were mutual."

"Did you even remember to ask her what she was feeling?" Remus asked, "Or did you make up her answer in your head and then rush on about how you were going to whisk her away and make her Queen?" James opened his mouth to mock Remus, but then froze.

"She never answered me." He looked down at the ground, calculating, remembering. "I asked her, but she didn't answer me."

"You're frightening her." Remus said. "Back off a bit yeah? You're the prince, otherwise she would have told you to sod off herself."

"Remus does know her really well," Sirius agreed, winking at Remus, who was about ready to kick Sirius, but didn't know how to manage that without James seeing. "I'd listen to him if I were you."

James looked up and seemed surprised to see Sirius. "You're still here?"

"Course I am. You're knights keep giving me their money." James rolled his eyes.

"I wish I could just make you a knight." James said. "You're more than good enough."

"Well, you were ready to make Lily queen yesterday," Remus said with a grin, "Making him a knight really shouldn't be a problem." James shoved Remus, causing him to step in a puddle of what Remus hoped was water.

"Where are we headed anyway?" James asked. "The taverns the other way, no?"

"The stables." Sirius answered. "Need to see a man about a knight."

"Well, I'm the man to see about knights." James said, looking slightly confused. "What do you need to know?"

"Why Lance won't show his face."

"Peter knows everything about everyone." Remus explained. "We figured it's worth a shot."

"He's still not even a knight," James brought his hand up to the base of his neck. "I don't want you two doing anything that's going to have him running out of town before my father agrees that he should be a member of the guard."

"He's never going to know that we're sneaking around." Sirius said. "That's the point of the sneaking."

"Why'd you get disinherited?" James asked suddenly, grabbing hold of Sirius's sleeve and forcing him to come to a stop.

"I killed a man." Sirius said with a straight face, then he cracked a grin and kept walking.

"Honestly, what did you do?"

"I made my parents really angry." He said. "What else?"

"Yeah, but how did you manage it?"

"Drop it."

"No."

Sirius spun around, causing him and James to be almost toe-to-toe. "Are you asking me as my friend, or as my Prince?" Remus bit his tongue and looked down.

"I didn't know we were friends." James said, keeping his eyes locked on Sirius's. When Sirius didn't show any signs of backing down, James let out a sigh. "Fine. You don't have to tell me. Let's go find this Peter bloke."

"What do you want to find him for?" Remus asked, figuring he should break the tension sooner rather than later. "You just told us that we should respect his privacy until he's on the payroll."

"Yes." James nodded. "But then I was reassured that we weren't going to get caught."

"By myself and Sirius. One of us is a drunk and you continuously remind the other that he is a stupid prig with horrible-"

"Remus!" James clamped a hand over his mouth. "I said those things to you in confidence." His eyes widened and he cast a look over at Sirius, who rolled his eyes and shoved James's shoulder. Remus once again found himself wondering why the knights ever felt the need to walk on their toes around James.

They reached the stables and when Peter saw the three of them he tripped over his feet and fell into a bow. "Your majesty." He squeaked. James chuckled and grinned. Alright, maybe he only expected to be treated like everyone else by a few people. Remus sighed.

"James, Sirius, this is Peter. Peter, James and Sirius." Remus introduced everyone while helping Peter to his feet. Sirius stuck out his hand and shook Peter's.

"You're a mousy fellow, aren't you?" He asked, giving him a friendly smile.

"I get that a lot, sir." Peter nodded.

"Names Sirius, if you don't mind."

"Right, yes, of course." Sirius casted an unimpressed look in Remus's direction but Remus ignored it.

"Remus here tells us that you know just about everything about everyone." James said, running a hand through his hair and leaning up against one of the closed stalls.

"Well, I wouldn't say-"

"Tell us about Lancelot." James interrupted. Remus was about ready to whack him over the head with the nearest blunt object. Couldn't he tell that Peter was nervous?

"L-lancelot?" Peter stuttered, only getting more nervous now that the subject of choice had been brought up. "I don't know anything about h-him."

"Relax, mate." Sirius said, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder. "We're not here to hurt you." Peter tried to smile at him, but it looked more like a grimace. Remus looked around the stables for something, anything he could manipulate to make Peter feel more at ease. It was a stable though. The only thing in the stable, was horses. If Remus made anything happen to make Peter feel more at ease, he would only be making a fool of himself in the process.

He looked over at Peter again and then over at a latch on the other side of the stable. Peter was good with horses. He wouldn't let the beast trample Remus. He would know what to do if the horse got out of its stall. Being in control of something would make him feel better. Remus tried to convince himself that everything was going to be alright.

"I-it's just that- I don't really- Lancelot doesn't-" James laughed and that's when Remus decided that he didn't really have any more options. He turned his head towards the stall and concentrated on pulling the pin out of the latch. There was a quiet plink as the metal pin hit the stone floor, but the three other boys didn't seem to notice and, what was more important, neither did the horse.

Remus cursed under his breath.

He looked around the stall and saw that there was a lead rope hanging up on a nail, and Remus got a second idea. Using a bit more magic, he made the rope fall to the ground and start moving about as if it were now a snake. The horse took quick notice to that and bucked up, kicking open its stable door and whinnying. James and Sirius rushed back and pushed themselves flat against the wall, Remus had already been doing that to keep himself as far from that horse as he could when he entered the stable. He also didn't have any problem pretending to be horribly frightened about what was happening, because he was horribly frightened of what he had just done. As soon as all the 'what ifs' started popping into his head, Peter rushed up to the horse, grabbing it's reigns and attempting to calm it down.

"Whoa!" He said, reaching his other hand up to stroke the giant animal's face. "Calm down, boy. You're alright." He spoke soothing words over and over until the horse stopped jumping about. Peter turned to Sirius, "Can you take his reins for a moment?" Sirius looked from Peter to the horse and back again, but then threw back his shoulders and nodded. He carefully walked up to the horse and took hold of the reins, making sure to keep as far away as he could, leaving his arm straight out. Peter smirked a bit and then walked into the stable, looking around on the floor, moving the hay around with his boots.

"Looks like it was a rope that scared him." He said, picking up the lead rope that Remus had dropped.

"Why would a rope scare the horse?" Remus asked.

"If he thought it was a snake…" Peter shrugged. "I don't know what else could have set him off like that. Anyway, you three wanted to know about Lancelot?" He asked, taking the horse back from Sirius and leading him back to the stall.

"Yeah," Sirius shook his head and crossed his arms, attempting to regain composure. "Why's he always wearing that helmet of his?" Peter walked out of the stall and shrugged.

"I've heard about as many stories about the bloke as you have, but I've only met him once and it wasn't here. I was walking home and happened upon him. Didn't know it was him either until my mum told me."

"Do you know anything about him?" James asked. "I hardly ever see him in the castle and-"

"He doesn't stay in the castle." Peter interrupted. Remus was glad to see that his plan to give Peter more confidence had worked, James however, seemed to be a bit miffed that the stable boy was interrupting him. Peter didn't notice. "I heard Sprout, um, she owns an herb garden, I heard her say that Lancelot asked her if he could sleep in her barn until he was able to find permanent living quarters for himself and his… Dorcas and Mary."

"Yeah, we don't get that either." Sirius said.

"That's all I know."

"Why doesn't he want to stay in the castle? We would give Dorcas and Mary rooms of their own if he asked. It's sort of imperative that he remain working for us."

"As opposed to him making fools of you and your knights." Remus said with a smirk. James pressed his lips together and pushed him towards the horses. Remus tensed up, but tried not to show too much emotional distress. He really did need to get over this fear.

"Now if you want to know about the girls," Peter said with a smirk. "They come in here all the time. There's a third with them sometimes."

"Do they say anything about Lance?" James asked.

"Dorcas seems pretty miffed that he's not a knight yet. Mary's not too happy about it but the third girl, what do they call her…"

"Hestia?" Sirius offered, remembering their third friend from the woods.

"Could be. Didn't catch a name. Anyway, she seem'd really understanding about everything. Goes on about traditions and the like."

"Nothing about why they're not staying in the castle?"

"Dorcas doesn't seem to like most of the other knights." Peter said with a shrug. "I suppose that could have something to do with it."

"Pettigrew?" Someone called from just outside the stable. Peter excused himself to go and greet whoever it was, but they decided to meet him inside instead. It was Arden Weasley. "Prince James!" He called out. "We've been looking for you everywhere. It's your father. There's something wrong."

* * *

 **AN: The last month has been completely horrible. I've been too busy to even edit this stupid chapter. (I actually like this chapter, but whatever.)**

 **Thoughts? Concerns? Theories? I like hearing it all. :)**


	7. The Falling of the King

_**A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief; it is a superstition.**_

 _~Jose Bergamin_

 **Chapter Seven: The Falling of the King's Ward**

The king was not just ill, which was what James had been expecting on the walk up to his father's bedroom. Bellatrix was already there, seated beside him and a few of the knights that had found him collapsed in the throne room were there as well. James rushed up beside Bellatrix and took his father's hand. Dumbledore was also there, mixing some remedy on the king's desk. Remus and Sirius, both stayed in the back with Arden.

"What happened?" Remus asked quietly.

"D'know." Arden seemed worried, wringing his hands and chewing on his bottom lip. "But this isn't good. He's never been sick before, he's always been in perfect health."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Sirius said, patting Arden on the back.

"Why are you even here?" Arden spat. "You have no right." Sirius withdrew his hand.

"I'm a friend of the Prince, I was with him when he got the news, I thought it would be rude to just up and leave."

"But you're not allowed in-"

"Why don't you go and stand next to the other knights." Remus whispered to Arden, before either of them could cause a scene. Arden casted a disparaging look at Sirius and then complied.

"Arse." Sirius muttered.

"He's scared. People do stupid things when they're scared."

"Whatever."

"Remus," Dumbledore waved him over.

"Did you leave something in you room?" He asked, coming up beside him.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded and put an arm around Remus's shoulders. "It's a curse." He said quietly. "He's been poisoned with magic."

"And you think that I had something-"

"No, of course not. I need you to go look in that book that I gave you for anything that could cause skin irritations, narrowed airways and yellowed eyes."

"Alright." Remus turned away and headed for the door.

He was a few floors down when he started to fully understand the gravity of the situation that they were all facing. If the king were to die, James would be made king prematurely. There would be no queen, the lords and nobles would probably force him into an arranged marriage simply to appease neighboring kingdoms and assure them that the change in leaders wasn't going to affect relationships. Not the mention the wreck that James would be in if his father died. They weren't exactly close lately, and they were rarely on the same page anymore, but he was the only family that James had. Sure Bella and James got off alright, and they probably thought of each other as siblings, but they weren't. Not really. They would both be lost if the king were to die.

Remus reached his and Dumbledore's quarters and summoned the book from his bedroom to the table.

"What the hell!?"

Remus spun around on his heel and saw Sirius standing in the doorway, eyes wide and locked on the book.

"You're a-" He looked behind him and then stepped inside and slammed the door. "You have magic?" He asked, looking at Remus with almost a reverent expression. Remus on the other hand have frozen to the spot. "Why didn't you say anything before! That's amazing!"

"You can't tell anyone." Remus stammered out quickly, trying to snap himself out of his shock. The king was still counting on him to find the answer to whatever curse had been placed upon him.

"Course not. Can't have you losing that pretty little head of yours, can we?" Sirius walked by Remus, ruffled his hair and then took a seat at the table and flipped open the book. "Does James know?"

"No." Remus said quickly. This answer only seemed to please Sirius even more.

"What are we looking for, warlock?"

"Don't call me that." Remus said, pulling the book towards him and taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"Alright. What are we looking for, wizard?"

"Stop. I need to focus or the king could die."

"I could help."

"You know nothing about magic."

"That's not strictly true."

Remus's head shot up and Sirius chuckled. "I myself don't dabble in the art, though I wish I did, but I knew someone once who… Well, he actually turned out to be- not who I thought he was. Let's leave it at that for now. What happened to the king?"

"Dumbledore thinks he was cursed. Something that causes skin irritation, narrowed airways and…"

"And?"

"Let me think." Remus pressed his knuckles to the side of his head. "Yellow eyes! We need to find a curse that causes skin irritation, narrowed airways and yellow eyes."

"And death."

"And death."

They both looked over the book for a few moments and then Sirius sat back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

"What?" Remus asked.

"Did you see the way Bella was looking at him?"

"What?" He repeated. He looked up at Sirius who was now leant back in the chair, balancing it on two legs. "I don't see how that's relevant right not."

"She was always a strange kid when we were growing up. Secretive and… just strange."

"I forgot she was your cousin." Remus sighed, flipping to a new page.

"It was almost as though she wanted him to die."

Remus looked up at Sirius without moving. "Why would you say something like that?" He whispered.

"Because that's what I saw."

"The king is like a father to her."

"He's also directly responsible for her actual father's death." Sirius shrugged. "I'm not saying that she tried to kill him or anything. I'm just saying that if it turned out that she _did_ try and kill him, I wouldn't be surprised at all."

"Lily has been working for her for years. She would have mentioned something if she thought Bella was some sort of psychotic loon."

"Psychotic loons are notoriously good at hiding their true nature."

"Found it!" Remus pointed to a page in the book and summoned a quill and parchment towards him, writing down the ingredients and the name of the curse on the paper. "There's no antidote listed…" He flipped through another couple of pages, but found nothing. "This will have to do. Come on." He flicked his hand and the book and quill flew back to where they had been before he summoned them.

"That is amazing." Sirius shook his head, a goofy smile on his face. "Does Lily know?"

"No." Remus sighed, holding the door open and waiting for him to get through.

"So I'm the only one?"

"You and Dumbledore. Now get moving or I'm going to leave you here."

"Alright." Sirius jumped out of his chair and followed Remus back up to the king's room. Remus discreetly slipped Dumbledore both the parchment and the random herb he had thought to grab last minute.

"Just what I needed." Dumbledore said, holding up the plant for everyone to see. "Thank you, Remus." He slipped the parchment into his robes, quickly mixed some herbs together and then rushed over to the king. "He will be fine." Dumbledore said quietly, pouring a greenish liquid into the king's mouth. As soon as it touched his lips the king's color seemed to return and after a moment, he took a large breath and everyone in the room seemed to do the same.

Remus found himself looking at Lady Bellatrix. She was still standing next to the king, and when Dumbledore announced that the king was going to be fine, there was a moment's hesitation between an expression that looked like disappointment and the expected euphoria. It could have been because she doubted Dumbledore, who hadn't been sure that the king would live until that moment, or it could have been because Sirius had just planted the idea in his head. Either way, Remus saw something, and he wasn't sure what it meant.

oOoOo

James and Bella gave Remus and Lily the day off following the king's almost death. They both wanted to spend the day with King Charles and neither Remus nor Lily had to be present for that.

"I can't believe that happened." Lily sighed, putting a hand to her chest as Remus finished relaying what had happened over breakfast at Lily's house. She had prepared a few eggs that Remus had swiped from the castle's kitchen.

"Can I ask you something?" Remus said tentatively. He hated that he couldn't let it go, but after what Sirius had said and then what he thought he saw… he had to ask.

"Of course." Lily said, taking another bite of her eggs and smiling at him.

"Does Bella ever-" He faltered and crinkled his eyes. "Does she ever do anything that seems- I mean, does she-"

"What are you trying to ask, Remus?" Lily's smile was playful, as though she knew what he was getting at.

"Is she a bit strange?"

"If you're asking me if I think she tried to kill the king," Lily's voice went down to a whisper and she shot a look out her window. "I don't. She loves James and the king. They're like her family. But if you're asking me if she's a bit batty, then yes."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Sirius is her cousin."

"That bloke you stood me up for?" Lily asked sternly. Remus grinned and nodded. "He said she was strange?" He nodded again. "Well, family knows best."

"He said that he wouldn't be surprised if she was behind it." Remus whispered, also throwing a look out the window.

"I wouldn't go that far. She gets jealous of James sometimes, and I think half of the emotions she shows are fake, but she's not the murdering type."

"She looked a bit… disappointed yesterday."

"What do you meant disappointed?"

"When Dumbledore said he was going to be fine. She looked upset." Lily paused before saying anything this time.

"That's ridiculous." She finally said. "You must have misread her expression." Remus nodded and took another bite of his eggs.

"Yeah. That's what I thought too."

"Anyway, let's not waste our only day off talking about work and our employers. Let's do something fun."

"Like what?"

"There's this place that I used to go when I was a little girl that I never get to go to anymore."

"Sounds vague."

"If I tell you anything more then you won't want to come."

"Alright then." Remus picked up their dishes and put them in the basin on the counter. "You've convinced me."

"Good." Lily smiled, reaching out and taking Remus's hand. He looked down at their hands and then up at her smiling face and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. This was another thing he hoped he was misreading.

"There's horses where we're going, aren't there?" Remus asked, pushing the other thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Just a few." Lily said. "But that's not exactly why you won't want to go."

"You're unconvincing me."

"You'll be fine. I promise."

She didn't let go of his hand the entire time they were walking to wherever she was taking him, not even when Remus was sure she noticed his palms get sweaty or when someone tried to walk in between them. The gesture felt friendly, but that couldn't have been all there was too it. She had kissed him on the cheek the other day, she went out of her way to help him, when she needed to talk to someone, he was the first person she went to.

It wasn't that he didn't like the idea of having a relationship with Lily. She was very pretty, clever, amusing and fun to be around. She made him do outrageous things because he wanted to prove to both of them that he could, but he and Lily _couldn't_ be in a relationship. Remus had watched James infatuation grow into something real, he had given him advice and stood beside him while he continuously tried and failed to get Lily's attention.

And it wasn't only James' feelings for her that was keeping Remus at bay. Despite the fact that she was very pretty, clever, amusing and fun, he didn't think of her in that way. He didn't fancy her. She was a wonderful person and Remus would think himself very lucky to end up with someone like Lily, but that didn't change the fact that he felt nothing more than friendship when he looked at her.

"Here we are!" Lily said, finally releasing his hand and swinging her arms out in unnecessary grandeur. Behind her was a hut that seemed comically disproportionate. The door was about three times as wide and almost two times as tall as a normal door, but the stairs leading up to the door and the windows all seemed to be the size that they should be. The pumpkins growing next to the hut were larger than Remus himself, and the dog sitting next to the path leading up to the hut had to be the largest dog Remus had ever laid eyes on.

"Where are we?"

"Hagrid's." Lily said with a cheerful grin, grabbing hold of his hand again and pulling him through the gap in the stone wall surrounding the hut and towards the dog that could probably swallow him whole.

"Why are we here?" Remus whispered, trying not to make eye contact with the animal. He heard somewhere that dogs take eye contact as a challenge and since he didn't wish to die at that particular moment, he didn't think challenging the dog would be a good idea. It bothered him immensely that Lily seemed completely at ease, swinging her free arm at her side and smiling at everything. Remus felt sick just looking at her.

When they reached the door, Remus finally started to think about what kind of person would need such a large door. He didn't have much time to contemplate however because not a moment after Lily's tiny little fist knocked on the door, did a man come and answer it. If you could call him that.

The term 'giant' quickly came to mind.

"Lily!" The man roared, smiling widely and bending down to scoop her into a hug. "Haven't seen ya' in ages, lass. Hardly be able to reco'nize you if you weren' the only ginger I'm on speaking terms with at the moment."

"What do you mean? What about the Pwettes and the Weasley's?"

"Molly's both and we're not really getting along right now." Hagrid shrugged. "I wish I could say it was so'm simple like 'er saying she owns part o' me land or so'm. We've already been through that song and dance though."

"Molly's stubborn, but then again," Lily smirked. "So are you."

"Still the no nonsense type, I see." Hagrid grinned.

Lily nodded and then turned to Remus, who hadn't even tried to utter a single sound whilst they were conversing. "Hagrid, this is my friend Remus, he works up in the castle with me. Remus, this is Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the keys and grounds here in Camelot."

"Only one in the whole city with a key to the castle." Hagrid puffed out his chest, looking mighty proud of himself. "Aside from the king o'course." He then quickly stepped aside. "I'm sorry, come on in please. Making you stand on my steps is mighty rude o' me."

"Don't worry about it, Hagrid." Lily smiled, stepping into the hut. Remus took a deep breath, still not having said a word and then stepped through the massive doorway and into a living area where the furniture all seemed to have been handmade to accommodate Hagrid's inhuman size. The dining room table came almost to Remus's shoulder and the chairs to his waist, the fireplace was about the size of his bed and the silverware hanging on the wall were longer than his arm.

"Tell me about yourself, Remus." Hagrid said, bringing a massive kettle over to the table once Lily and Remus had climbed onto a pair of chairs.

"Well," Remus said, leaning as far away from Hagrid as he could, while the giant man brought the kettle a bit too close for comfort. "I moved here a few months ago. I live with Albus Dumbledore, he's an old friend of my mother's and it was her idea to move me out here, though I like it here so I'm not complaining. Soon after moving here I got a job working for Prince James, and that's about it. Nothing too terribly exciting."

"Well, Dumbledore's a good man." Hagrid said. "Known him since I was a lad. You'd best do right by him."

"He's being modest." Lily smiled, putting a hand atop Remus's and preventing him from saying anything more to what Hagrid had said. "He saved the Prince's life the first week he was here, and that was after getting thrown in jail for fighting with the Prince. And now, he may be James's servant, but he's also his best friend."

"I s'pose I approve then." Hagrid chuckled. "Tell me more about your fight with the prince. Lately he's been a right smarmy pain in the bum."

"I don't know about that." Lily said, sliding her hand back across the table, letting her fingers tap along to some unknown rhythm. "He's actually grown up quite a bit in the last few months." She looked up and Remus and smiled. "I think it's mostly your doing."

"I wouldn't say that he's grown up that much. I can stand to be in the same room as him for longer than a few minutes now, but he's still a prat." Hagrid laughed at that, and the loud booming sound of it almost caused Remus to fall out of his chair.

"Hagrid?" Someone called from outside the door.

"Come on in." He called, and the door flew open. A slight, blonde girl stood in its wake, her face a bit flushed, and a sheen of sweat covering almost every patch of visible skin. "Marlene? What's the problem?"

"It's Fang," She said, attempting to catch her breath. "He's gone and chased Dory up a tree again. I don't know why he doesn't like her, but can you- can you come and call him off her?"

"Shite." Hagrid grumbled, standing up from his chair and rushing out the door. Remus and Lily followed. Remus quickly caught sight of the massive dog jumping and barking around the base of a large tree, in which Dory had managed to climb up a safe distance.

"Oh get away from me you massive brute!" She called, throwing a stick at the animal.

"Fang!" Hagrid called. The dog instantly dropped to the ground, his ears back, looking extremely guilty. "Would you leave that girl alone?" He waved his hand towards the hut. "Get inside, would you?" The dog slunk away and was soon gone from sight. "I'm sorry about that, Dory." He reached up into the tree and lifted her out. "Don't know why he's like that round you."

"Me either." She sighed, brushing herself off a bit. "He loves Mary and Marlene. It's just me he's got a problem with." She looked up and smiled when she saw Remus and Lily. "'Lo." She waved.

"Hello." Remus replied. "Are you alright?"

"Course I am." She shrugged. "The only good thing about him being that large, is that he can't turn very fast. I got away before he could bite my head off."

"Well… that's good." Remus wrinkled his brow, unsure as to how she seemed to be perfectly at ease too soon after she was almost mauled to death by a dog the size of a horse.

He really did need to get over this aversion to horses.

Lily cleared her throat and Remus shook his head. "Of course, I apologize," He nodded at Lily. "Lily, this is Dory. Dory works for-" Dory cleared her throat. " _With_ , she works _with_ Lancelot. Dory, this is Lily, she works in the castle."

"Nice to meet you." Lily said.

"You as well." Dory smiled briefly and then turned her attention back to Remus. "Sirius told me that Bella tried to kill the king yesterday."

"What?" Hagrid blanched.

"That's not what happened." Remus sighed. "The king did get sick yesterday, but it wasn't because of anything Bella did. And he's fine now."

"He told me that she was acting strangely." Dory shrugged. "And you may have forgotten, that I grew up with Bellatrix. Well, Sirius at least. Bella's mother and my mother weren't too fond of one another, which made us want to be friends at one point. Didn't last long. I watched as she made dolls that looked like her parents and then threw them into the fire, told me she wished they were voodoo dolls and that's when I stopped talking to her."

"That- That's disturbing." Remus allowed. "But she didn't try and kill him."

"I'll just introduce myself then?" Marlene said, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking Dory with a half sarcastic glare.

"Glad you haven't forgotten how." Dory smirked, looking as though she was enjoying some inside joke.

"Marlene." She said, ignoring Dory and sticking her hand out to shake both Lily and Remus's. Remus instantly liked this new girl, she had a certain air about her that just put him completely at ease. Her blue eyes were wide and bright, and she had a smile on her face that just oozed confidence.

"Are you new around here?" Lily asked, she was also smiling at the girl and Remus figured that she was getting the same feeling that he was.

"Yes." Marlene nodded. "I just moved here with Dory and Mary. And Lance I suppose."

"Did you?" Remus asked. "Why haven't I met you before now?"

"Well, unlike Mary and Dory, I don't feel the need to come to every one of Lance's training sessions and stalk the knights." She threw Dory another look. "We've been staying here with Hagrid, so I've been helping him out to ear our keep."

"We're just looking out for Lance." Dory shrugged.

Marlene laughed. It was a pretty laugh that sounded like bells. Remus quite liked the sound. "Anyway, you're sure the king is alright?"

"Positive." Remus nodded, still smiling at her. "Dumbledore was able to find out what was wrong and fix it rather quickly."

"What was wrong?" Dory asked.

Remus hesitated only slightly, looking away from Marlene. "He was poisoned. Dumbledore thinks it happened slowly over the last several months. He said that that's why the king hasn't been himself lately, and why he's been so tired and angry."

"I think there are a few other reasons as well." Dory muttered. Remus tried rather hard not to laugh at that, but he failed and Lily elbowed him in the ribs.

"You know it's true, Lily." Dory said with a shrug. "The king has a stick up his-"

"Alright." Lily put her hands up took a step away from everyone. "It was very nice to meet you two, and Hagrid, it was nice to see you. But Remus and I have to be going now."

"You're not going to stay for dinner?" Hagrid asked, looking slightly disappointed. "I was going to make the girls here some chili." Both Dory and Marlene forced lips to curve into a grin, but failed at making them look sincere.

"I have to make dinner for Petunia and my dad, otherwise we would stay. It's been nice catching up and hopefully I'll get to come around soon."

"A'right, it was good to see ya, Lils." Hagrid took a massive step forward and for brief moment, Lily disappeared behind his arms. "Tell your family I said hullo."

"Of course." Lily nodded.

"Good meetin' ya Remus." Hagrid waved.

"You too." Remus nodded. "And it was nice to meet you as well, Marlene." She smiled at him and nodded her head. "See you round, Dory."

And then Lily was dragging Remus back towards her house. It took them twenty minutes to walk back, same as it had taken them to walk there, and again, Lily held his hand the entire way, but this time Remus was not worrying about what the handholding meant. He was thinking about everything that had just happened. Between the giant dog almost mauling Dory, meeting Marlene and Hagrid, and having to fib about the king, he had plenty to think about.

When they were back in Lily's house, Lily slammed the door and started pacing back and forth, the length of the kitchen. "I can't believe she almost said that." She muttered under her breath. "I can _not_ believe she was going to say that. Do you know what would have happened if a knight had heard her say that?"

"Probably nothing." Remus said. The knights frequently badmouthed the king when James wasn't around to hear it. He was a pain in the arse, and they complained about it. Lily didn't seem to care though.

"And then you were laughing!" She poked Remus in the shoulder. "I know that James gives you a lot of slack when it comes to him, but you can't be associating with people like them. They're going to get you into trouble, Remus."

"Don't worry about me." He said, in the same tone and rhythm that he had every other time he had said those exact words to her over the last three months. It never did anything to make her worry less, but Remus didn't really know what else to say.

Instead of sighing exasperatedly or rolling her eyes, Lily clenched her fists at her sides and became rather rigid. "I can't help it." She said. "You leave me no other option."

Remus had no response to that and found himself feeling rather guilty.

"You're the only friend I've got, and I'd rather not lose you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes." He nodded, looking down at his shoes.

"Good." She sighed. She hesitated for a moment, and then pulled him in for a hug. Remus didn't really think so much as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly into her hair. She smelled slightly of fish and sweat, but there was also a hint of lavender, and Remus suspected that it was probably one of Bellatrix's many perfumes that got on Lily just by her being around Bella so much.

"Good." She muttered, squeezing him just a bit tighter. Then she pulled away, and nodded her head. "I really do need to get dinner started now."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Remus said, already walking towards the door.

"See you tomorrow."

oOoOo

James was waiting for Remus when he came in the next morning. He had woken up early so that he could be sitting in his armchair, facing the door when Remus walked through. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face that had been there since yesterday afternoon.

When Remus did walk through the door he was a bit startled to find James glaring at him. "Morning." He said, his brow crinkled together. "Why do you look as though I've drowned your pet?"

"You're fired." James said in a flat and even tone. Remus laughed and continued walking into the room. He put James' breakfast on the table and then walked over to gather his night clothes. "I'm not joking, Remus. You lied to me, and I'm firing you."

"Alright, I'll play along. What did I lie to you about?"

"Oh, and now you're going to continue to lie to me?" James asked, crossing his arms, and raising a brow. "I thought that even _you_ might be man enough to come clean and admit it to me if I confronted you."

"I promise to 'be man enough' if you give me some clue as to what this is about."

"Lily." James said bluntly. Remus narrowed his eyes and waited for James to say something more. He didn't.

"What about Lily?" He asked.

"You told me that you and Lily were just friends." James said, jumping up from the chair and taking a few steps towards Remus. He looked beside himself and Remus dropped his nightclothes and took a few steps back.

"We are just frien-"

"Don't lie to me!" He shouted. "I saw you with her yesterday."

"And?" Remus asked, his temper rising along with James'. "We're friends, we do things together. You already knew that."

"You were holding hands!"

"You need to calm down, James." Remus said, trying to take his own advice. First Sirius, and now James saw something going on between himself and Lily, he really needed to talk to her about this. "Nothing is going on between Lily and I."

"Bull shite." James cried, both hands raking through his hair. "All this time you've been telling me to back off and lay low, it wasn't advice-"

"Yes it was, you were scaring her."

"You were trying to wade off the competition! You wanted her all to yourself- You -You wanted to come in and steal her away from me!"

"Alright listen to me!" Remus raised his voice and put his hands up. "Firstly, I was not trying to get you to back off because I have feelings for Lily. I don't have feelings for Lily. Lily and I are just friends. Secondly, Lily is a fully grown woman and can make decisions for herself, decisions that _you_ need to respect regardless of whether or not you like them." James tried to interject something here, but Remus spoke up. "She doesn't like you, she doesn't like me, and you need to sit down and take some deep breaths until you can think rationally about this."

"I know that she's- You're putting words in my mouth and-" James sputtered out and then fell back onto a chair, causing the front legs to rise slightly before falling back to the floor with a thud. "Why doesn't she like me?"

"So you've accepted that Lily and I are just friends?" Remus asked, wanting to make sure they weren't going to revisit that subject ever again. He had honestly thought that James was going to hit him for a while there.

"Yes, fine. I don't know why I thought she would like you anyway. She told me she didn't."

"She did?" Remus asked, curious not only to the context of that conversation, but when it would have come up as well.

"I made some crack about how you were an idiot and she called me out on that. I thought it was because she liked you, and I said as much. She then made a joke about how she was going to marry my dad and… Look, it doesn't matter alright. Why were you holding hands?"

"I don't know." Remus shrugged, still curious as to the conversation between James and Lily. "She was taking me somewhere, I just let her lead the way. That's usually how things go when I'm with her actually."

"Way to be a man." Remus took a deep breath and forced himself to keep his mouth closed. "I may have overreacted a bit."

"Really?"

"I'm sorry I almost attacked you." James muttered, toeing at the carpet. "I was out of line."

"You usually are." Remus sighed and went to pick up James' laundry again. "Why don't you work out what we're doing today and I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

"Sounds good."

oOoOo

"I think it's rather obvious who we're looking for." Dumbledore sighed, closing one of the large dusty books that he had pulled from his shelf earlier that evening.

"Well, then that makes you smarter than the two of us." Sirius had his head propped up by his fist and was playing with the remains of his dinner; building small towers out of bread and vegetables. "Because I haven't a clue as to who could have done this. The only person I know with magic is extremely far away and intent on becoming immortal. He doesn't have time for murderous interludes." After a moment of silence he nodded in Remus' direction. "And Remus, of course."

"Of course." Dumbledore said with a small smile. "Though, the only reason you haven't a guess is because you weren't here three months ago."

"What happened three months ago?" Sirius asked, sitting up straight.

"Three months ago, King Charles had some man executed in the main square for practicing magic and then his mum attempted to kill James to get even." Remus said. He was pacing back and forth, trying to focus on the task at hand, but he found that his mind kept wandering to Lily. What James had said, what Sirius had said when he told him, what Peter had said, and the look that Dumbledore had given him made him extremely worried. They were just friends. He was sure she felt the same way. Maybe.

He really needed to talk to her.

"Sounds about right." Sirius said. "And I don't mean to speak treason-"

"Then don't." Remus sighed, sitting down beside him and stealing a piece of his bread.

"-but the king is a horrible person. Why didn't you just let him die?"

Dumbledore didn't look horrified, as Remus expected him to, at such a suggestion. Instead he peered over the tops of his half-moon glasses and said, "All life is precious, and if we have the ability to save it, then we have the responsibility to save it."

And instead of making some wise-arse comment, as Remus expected him to, Sirius sighed and said quietly, "But what if not saving one life, saves hundreds of lives? How do you justify saving someone who is only going to bring pain and misery to people?"

"You must give them the opportunity to choose better." Dumbledore said. "Everyone deserves a chance to choose better."

Later that night, after Sirius had gone, Remus was helping Dumbledore put away the dishes and the rather large pile of books that had accumulated on the table.

"You know what happened to him, don't you?" Remus asked, not feeling the need for any preamble. "Why he was disinherited and travels around a lot?"

"I've heard stories." He nodded, tossing his beard over his shoulder to keep it out of the suds. Remus hoped that if he was quiet long enough, Dumbledore wouldn't need further prompting, but that was not the case.

"What have you heard?"

"You know that I'm not one to perpetuate rumors, but Sirius has had quite a hard life. Everything that I say to you is to stay in this room." He said solemnly. Remus nodded in agreement. "He made friends with a lad I once knew," He smiled fondly at Remus. "He was a lot like you actually."

"Sirius?"

"No, the boy's name was Tom. He was naturally gifted when it came to magic, never needing to study or use spells. But he lacked something very important that you have." He placed his hand on Remus's shoulder. "Heart." Remus looked down and felt his face flush. I may have been months since he moved in with Dumbledore, but he still wasn't used to the affection that the older man gave so easily. "Sirius never got on well with his family; they all lead very elitist and traditional lives, which means they have rather strict views on how commoners should be treated and why marriages happen.

"When Tom showed up, he was a welcomed distraction in Sirius's eyes. When bad things started to happen, everyone suspected that Tom was involved, but Sirius refused to turn Tom in, not so much believing him to be innocent as believing that his family deserved what he was doing to them. That was until Sirius's brother got in the middle of things." Dumbledore sighed and leant up against the basin that they were washing the dishes in. "Regulus and Sirius were close. When Sirius told his parents what Tom had done to Regulus, they blamed him for not turning Tom in earlier and banished him."

"How was he supposed to know-"

"There were signs." Dumbledore interrupted softly. "Not that Sirius should have seen it coming, but Tom was a very troubled young man. When you're close with someone, especially when you have very few other people to turn to, you tend to overlook their flaws." He looked down at his hands and Remus got the feeling that there was a whole other story that he wasn't going to hear about tonight.

"He blames himself though, and that's what you meant earlier. Telling him that everyone deserves a second chance?"

"People have tried to tell him that it wasn't his fault," Dumbledore said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "But like I said, Regulus and Sirius were close. How could he not blame himself? He was the older brother… he was supposed to- protect Regulus." He cleared his throat and turned away. "I think it's time we turned in for the night. I'll see you in the morning Remus."

Remus was a bit startled by his sudden exit, but managed to bid him a goodnight before the door to his bedroom closed.

Most of the time Remus was all for secrets. He believed that people who had secrets had a right to keep those secrets, and other people had no business digging around in other people's lives. However, these were two very special cases. He cared about Dumbledore and Sirius, and he wanted what was best for them. They both seemed to have this extra weight that they were carrying around, and how was Remus supposed to help shoulder that burden if he didn't know what it was?

oOoOo

Bella had been acting rather strangely since the king had almost died and Lily was getting rather tired of pretending that she hadn't noticed.

It was mostly just small things; she was refusing to brush her hair or wear dresses that were brightly colored. She was also spending as much time as she could outside of the castle. And alone.

At first Lily had understood, and enjoyed the time off, but now… Now she was getting worried.

"I'll be needing my horse directly after lunch." Bella told her as she walked in that morning. Bella was still sitting in her bed, waiting for Lily to pull her covers off and help her into her day clothes, and she was already making plans to leave for the day.

"Of course, Lady Bellatrix." Lily said, pulling at the corner of the her duvet, and trying not to think about how she had almost frozen last night with nothing other than her old quilt that her mum had made her years ago. It didn't do to start thinking like that, and normally she didn't. She was already annoyed with Bella though, so it was easy to knit pick.

"And I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone that I was going out." She said this while avoiding eye contact.

"Lady Bellatrix?"

"It's none of your concern." She said sharply, pulling her robes on and taking a seat at the table. She started pushing the food around on her plate and Lily didn't know what to do. She couldn't let Bella go somewhere by herself, without anyone's knowledge. What if something were to happen to her? What if she was injured, kidnapped, or worse? That would be on Lily.

She also couldn't directly disobey Bella without consequences. If nothing went wrong and Bella found out that she had told someone, with the way she was currently acting, she wasn't sure what Bella would do. Hopefully she wouldn't fire her. Lily didn't know what she would do if she had to find another job. She had only ever had this job.

"I hope that's not a problem for you." Bella said, her voice an odd mixture of honeyed and forceful. "Keeping this information to yourself that is. I know that you're rather close to James' servant boy, but this stays between you and I." Bella lowered her voice. "It would be a shame if I had to find a new maid. You and I have gotten on for so long, and I would hate to go through the whole process of finding someone new." Lily quirked a brow at this. She was threatening to fire her? What was she planning on doing this afternoon?

"I will keep it between us." Lily said. "And I feel hurt that you felt the need to threaten me into silence." She added, still considering telling someone. Probably Remus. Bella knew her fairly well.

"Of course!" Bella smiled. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to stress that I wasn't making the suggestion lightly. It's very important to me that no one knows that I'm out this afternoon."

"Yes, alright." Lily nodded. "And where should I tell them you are? If they are to request an audience?"

Bella bit her bottom lip for a moment while she thought. "I suppose you could tell them that I'm feeling unwell and would like to be left alone." Lily didn't like to help people lie, but for some reason, she couldn't help but point out the problems with that answer.

"After what just happened with the king, I don't think that would go over too well." She said, now working on making Bella's bed.

"Of course." Bella thought on it again. "Tell them I'm in a mood then." She said at length, now having finished her toast. "Tell them I'm in a mood and wish to be left alone."

Lily didn't see how that would hold up if the king wanted to see Bella, but he very rarely wanted to see her, so she didn't think that should be a problem. "Sounds good to me, Miss."

It didn't sound good to Lily though and as soon as Bella excused her, she ran off to find Remus and ask him what she should do.

"I should follow her, right?" Lily asked after relaying the entire story to Remus. Remus shrugged, standing an awkward distance from her with his arms crossed over his chest. Lily tried, yet again, to take a step towards him but he, yet again, just took another step back. If they continued at this little song and dance for much longer, he was going to tumble down a set of stairs. Lily was almost tempted to keep it up, just to see if he would continue to do it after it became obvious to him that she knew what he was doing.

"I don't know if following her is the best course of action. I could always just let it slip to James-"

"Weren't you listening to anything I said?" Lily sighed, unintentionally taking a step closer to whack him over the shoulder. Remus didn't even fully register her hitting him before he took a step back. "If you tell James, Bella is going to fire me."

"Right, yes. Of course." Remus nodded and then looked at the floor thoughtfully. "Wait, no she won't."

"She said that she would."

"And you believe her? You don't think that she might be bluffing?"

"I don't really care to find out. I'm just worried about her. I think I should follow her." In all honestly, Lily hadn't really found Remus to ask him what she should do, she had found Remus to get him to agree with the plan that she had thought up about two seconds after Bella had sworn her to secrecy.

"I really don't think that's the best idea, Lils." Remus kicked his boot at the floor and avoided eye contact.

"Firstly, it's a brilliant idea. Secondly, what in God's name is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about? I'm fine. You're the one wanting to go chasing after a mad woman through the woods alone without telling anyone about it!"

"I'm telling you! And Bella is not a mad woman."

"Telling me hardly counts, and that's debatable."

"Why are you standing so far away from me?"

"Why do you want to stand so close to me?" He countered.

"I like standing near people while I talk to them. That way I don't have to shout everything I want to tell them." She took a firm step forward, raising a brow, daring him to step back again. Which he did.

"I just like my personal space, that's all. Plus, I'm not feeling to well and I don't want to get you sick. We should probably just stay away from each other for a few days. Until I feel better at least."

Lily scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. You're coming with me."

"I'm coming with you? Where?"

"You and I are going to follow Bella together, because while most of your ideas were horrible, you were right about one thing. I should not go riding off into the woods by myself. That's dangerous and stupid and what I'm trying to prevent Bella from doing."

"I just told you that I'm ill-"

"You were lying."

"And you know I don't like horses."

"You're afraid of them. Frankly it's ridiculous and you need to get over it."

"Lily-"

"No arguing, Remus." Lily interrupted. "Meet me in the stables after lunch."

* * *

 **AN: And there is my latest installment! I hope you enjoy and leave me a review if it's not too much trouble. Thank you so much!**


	8. Resurrecting the Past

_**Don't mistake pleasure for happiness. They're a different breed of dog.**_

 _ **~Josh Billings**_

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Resurrecting the Past**

Shortly, Remus found himself trekking down the stone steps of the castle, towards the stables. He felt the familiar flip of his stomach as he saw the stable doors, but for once, it had nothing to do with the horses – almost nothing to do with the horses – and almost everything to do with Lily.

Not only did she want him to get on a horse and follow some woman who may or may not have attempted to kill the king into the woods, but he also had to deal with all of her 'stepping closer' and hand-holding. He was going to have to take a more direct approach, and he wasn't looking forwards to it. He had spent all morning using his magic to do his chores because he thought that at this point, getting executed for having magic would be preferable to having an awkward conversation with Lily. Of course, no one caught him though. It was just his luck.

Lily was already waiting for him when he walked through the door, dressed in riding gear and ready to go. "Where have you been?" She said, pausing in her pacing to walk towards him and hit him on the shoulder. "Bella left five minutes ago! We have to leave now or we'll never catch up to her!"

Remus saw Peter walking towards them with two horses and his stomach dropped. "Would that really be such a bad thing?" He muttered, ignoring the glare that Lily sent his way. She took hold of the saddle and pulled herself up, suddenly five feet taller. She raised her brows expectantly at him and he sighed.

"Don't worry, Remus," Peter said with what Remus assumed was supposed to be a calming smile. "This here is my favorite horse in the stable. She's very docile and sweet. Never bucked anyone before."

Remus took a deep breath and pulled himself onto the beast. "There's a first time for everything, Pete." Peter chuckled and then led the two horses to the edge of the stables.

"Good luck." Peter said. "With Bella I mean, not with the horse. You'll be find on this horse, Remus." He pressed his lips together.

"Thanks, Peter." Remus said, digging his heels into the horse as lightly as he could manage so it would follow after Lily's. Lily wasn't finding it necessary to go too slow though.

When they made it to the edge of the city, Remus drew forward to align himself with Lily. "Did you find out anything about where she's going?"

"No." She muttered, twirling the reins in her hands angrily. "I tried, but eventually she just snapped at me for being nosey and told me to go and do her laundry. I haven't the faintest idea what she could be up to that would make her so rude to me. We've been friends for years."

"Are you worried?" Remus asked. "I mean, what if she-"

"You worry too much." Lily laughed. "Or you've been listening to too many of Sirius's tales. I know he doesn't like her all that much, but I'd like to think that after almost six years of working for her, I know her a bit better than he does."

"They are family."

"Yes, but they only knew each other when they were kids. And before Bella lost her sisters and parents. I'm sure she's a lot different than she used to be."

"I'm sure." Remus nodded. They were heading off the main road now, onto a trail that led towards the forest where James and Remus had ran into Sirius. A few moments of silence lagged on while Remus tried to form the next part of the conversation in his head. "Lily I think we need to consider the possibility that-"

"Look!" Lily interrupted. "There she is!" Remus looked where Lily was pointing just in time to see Bella disappear behind a large clump of rocks. "What is she doing all the way out here?"

"I have no idea." Remus sighed, feeling almost disappointed that they had found her.

After a few more minutes of riding, a small wooden house came into view. There was smoke coming from the chimney and there were not one, but two horses tied up out front. Lily all but jumped down from her horse in excitement. "Come on, we have to get closer."

"Lily wait!" He called after her, sliding down from his horse. She was rushing forward, not a care in the world. Remus made sure that the horses were tied to the nearest tree and then ran after Lily. "What are you doing?" He asked, grabbing her arm and pulled her back.

"I need to see what she's doing!" Lily said. "She had to have come out her for a rea-"

"She's meeting someone!" Remus said, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the two horses. Lily looked where his thumb was pointing and then back at Remus with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Alright, maybe I need to be a bit more observant."

"You think?"

"Bella, you're being careless." A feminine voice came from inside the house. Lily and Remus exchanged looks and then crept up to the edge of the house, both kneeling below an open window. "And cruel. What did King Charles ever do to you?" The voice continued.

"He killed our father, Cissy." Bella spat. "He killed our father and separated us. Have you heard what's become of Annie? Our _sister_ , Andromeda Druella Black, married a _commoner._ " She spat out the word venomously. "A _muggle_ commoner, Cissy!"

"I heard you the first time, dear." Cissy sighed. It was at this point in the conversation when Remus looked over at Lily and saw the look of absolute shock on her face.

"I thought Bella's sisters were dead." Remus whispered, effectively snapping her out of her stupor.

"Apparently not." Lily sighed.

"And besides," Bella sighed, sounding as though she had just kicked at something. "It's not as though I've got any help." Remus couldn't help it, he had to take a look. He looked at Lily and then slowly raised himself to the window ledge.

"I will _not_ help you murder someone." Cissy was blonde and elegant looking, though her delicate brows were drawn together in a scowl.

"He deserves it." Bella snapped, slamming her fists down on the table. Cissy picked up her tea to stop it from toppling over. "You have no idea what he's done! No idea. He goes around killing everyone he thinks has used magic, and he doesn't even realize that most of the time, it's me!" Lily couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath that statement produced, but it went unnoticed by the two sisters. "I have magic!" Bella proclaimed. "I use magic all the time, and do you know what he would do to me if he found out? If he even suspected that I had magic? He'd have my head sliced off like all the others-"

"You don't know that-"

"I do to. He claims that he loves me like a daughter, but you don't see it, Cissy. You don't see the way he looks at James. He never looks at me that way. I'm in his household ot ease his conscious. And I will not let him get off that easily. No, he will pay for what he did."

"You're not thinking clearly, sister." Cissy said softly.

"Yes I am."

"No. What about those poor people who have paid for your crimes?"

"Magic is not a crime."

"Letting people die for something you did _is_ a crime."

"It was me or them." She said flippantly.

"Bella," Cissy sounded disgusted. "You don't _have_ to use your magic."

"It's a part of me, Narcissa. If I can't use it, I might as well be dead."

"You're being overdramatic, and you don't have to get caught if you must use it."

Remus dropped back to the ground. He took hold of Lily's sleeve and gave it a tug. She looked up and he started away from the house. She hurried after them until they were both safely back with their horses.

"What?" Lily asked. "Did you not want to hear the rest of that?"

"I don't know what your exit plan was," Remus sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "But I don't think it would be wise for us to be anywhere near that house when Bella decides to leave."

Lily started to argue, but then realized that there was nothing to argue about because Remus was right. He untied their horses and handed her one of the leads. "Looks like Sirius was right." He said.

"You don't have to be so crass about it. She was my friend." Lily said, still confused about everything that she had just heard.

"You're right, I'm sorry." He said, sounding sincere. "What are we going to do about this thought?"

"I don't know." Lily sighed. "It would be our word against hers, and I doubt anyone would believe us."

"James-"

"I know that the two of you are friends, but she is his sister. For every horrible thing that she just said about Charles, she and James are close."

"We have to do something, she tried to murder the king! And by the sounds of it, she's going to try again."

"Maybe her sister will be able to talk some sense into her." But she didn't sound as though she believe that even a little.

"And maybe Sirius will be the next King of Camelot." Remus laughed. He stepped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders, voluntarily standing near her for the first time in weeks. "She has magic, Lily. She's dangerous and we have to do something about it."

"Erg!" Lily pushed his arms away and pulled her hair back into a bun. "I don't know what to do! Just- just give me a day, okay?"

"What?"

"Give me a day to work out what to do." Lily said, "Give me one day."

"One day? You want me to sit on this information for an entire day?"

"Please, Remus? For me?" Remus looked up to the sky and shook his head, but Lily knew that he would agree.

"I'd do anything for you-"

"Good." She kissed him on the cheek and then took hold of his hand again. "Nothing bad will happen in a day, I promise."

"Alright, let's just get back up to the castle before Bella finds us out here."

OOoOo

Mary, Marlene and Dorcas were leaving the tavern just as Sirius found himself walking in. He slung an arm around Dorcas' neck and pulled her in for a hug. "Dory!" He ruffled up her hair. "I'vnt seen ya in ferever, love."

"How are you already drunk?" Mary asked, looking slightly impressed. "You haven't even entered the pub yet."

"Have too." He said with a nod. "There's another tavern down the road. They kicked me out because I started a fight with the piano man."

"What are you doing things like that for?" Marlene asked. Sirius hadn't met Marlene before now, and was slightly thrown by her presence with the other two girls.

"Who are you?"

"Answer my question first."

"A'ight. He lost a bet and he wouldn't pay me. I 'ad to teach him a lesson. Now who are you and why 'avn't I seen you before?"

"Names, Marlene. Though I doubt you're going to remember that."

"Well, maybe if ya'll come in and have a drink with me…"

"I don't think you need to drink anymore." Dorcas said, finally pulling Sirius' arm off her and stepping towards the other girls. "And maybe it's time you think about not getting so drunk every night too."

"I don't think that's any of your concern." He said, sounding less friendly than he had. "I can drink if I want."

"It's going to get you into trouble one of these days." Dorcas sighed. "That's all I'm saying."

"Well don't." He snapped. "Acting like you've changed so much. You're still the bossy little girl who likes to pretend she knows what's best for everyone but herself."

"Sirius." Dorcas snapped as Mary started laughing.

"Don't 'Sirius' me." Sirius pushed her hand away, stumbling as he did. "You have no idea what I've been through. What I've done. Why I left."

"And you know just as much about me as I do you." Dorcas muttered.

"I'm not the one telling you to change!" Sirius shouted. "If you want to run around and live your life with a few woman following around Lance, then bully for you, mate! Who would I be to tell you otherwise?"

Dorcas was just about to shout at him again when Remus walked up behind Sirius and put a hand on his shoulder. "Evening everyone."

"Oh, don't do that." Mary sighed. "They were putting on a good show."

"Arden came and found me after you punched out the piano man." Remus explained. "Said he was worried about you."

"Arden's so sweet." Sirius sighed, leaning against Remus's shoulder. "And he's got funny hair. I like his hair."

"You're a strange drunk, Sirius. Let's get you back home, yeah?" Sirius agreed and Remus waved to the girls and pulled Sirius away.

"That new girl was pretty." Sirius said as they were walking away. "She had nice hair too. Better than Arden's."

"Marlene? Yes, she's got very nice hair. And a pretty laugh."

"Didn't hear her laugh. Where'd she come from?"

"I don't know. She's staying with Mary and Dory though." Remus said. "Where am I taking you anyhow?" He stopped pulling Sirius along and looked around the darkened street, not at all sure where Sirius had been staying. It was strange to think about because Remus had seen Sirius an awful lot during the last couple of months, and he hadn't once asked where he had been staying, hadn't seen his lodgings or been at all curious about them. He turned to look at Sirius who just shrugged.

"Here's good." He said, nodding towards a shed that had been mostly emptied during the last season of planting.

"What do you mean, here's good? We're not anywhere."

"S'good." Sirius sighed. "Means people will leave me alone."

"Well, I can take you back to wherever you've been staying." Remus said, grabbing Sirius's arm again. "I'm not going to let you sleep on the street like some dru-" Remus stopped quite suddenly and Sirius's gaze snapped over to him.

"No," He shook his head. "It's alright. Say it, everyone does. I'm a drunk. Doesn't matter 'bout anything else. Just the drinking."

"That's not what I meant." He said, trying to think of a way to explain himself to a severely drunk man, but any argument he could think of seemed worthless because Sirius _was_ drunk, and he had been about to sleep on the side of the road.

"Look," Sirius grabbed Remus's shoulders and tried to steady himself. "I've made peace with who I am, and what I've become. You think I- that I thought that this was how things were going to go for me when I was a kid? I _was_ somebody! I had plans. They were all chosen for me, but nevertheless, I had them. I was supposed to be somebody." He scoffed and pushed Remus away from him. "I sleep here sometimes, I'll be fine."

"I'm not going to let you sleep here, Sirius." Remus said, a bit more forcefully than he was comfortable with, but Sirius was drunk and he was fairly sure it was the only way that he was going to be able to get through to him. Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and then jutted out his bottom jaw.

"Then where do you suggest I stay?" He asked, his voice quite clear and calculating for someone who was as drunk as he was.

"You'll stay with me."

oOoOo

After dropping Sirius off at his and Dumbledore's living quarters, he went back outside needing to clear his head and find someone else to talk to. He had been hoping that he would find Sirius sober and he could talk to him about what he and Lily had overheard in the woods earlier that day, but Sirius had been drunk and he didn't know who else he could talk to know. He couldn't talk to James, that was most definitely out of the question, and aside from Lily, he didn't really have any other friends.

He thought about finding Peter for a while, but he had never seen Peter anywhere but the stables and he was sure that the boy had gone home by now.

And that left Lily.

He sighed, because he still hadn't had the conversation that he knew he had to have with her, and he didn't really want to see her again without having that conversation, but he also didn't think he could have both conversations with her in one night, and honestly, the whole Bella situation was taking precedence at the moment.

He worked up the courage and started heading in the direction of her house. When he reached her street, he realized how late it was, because there was no light coming from any of the houses. He figured it was worth a shot anyway and walked up to Lily's house. He peeked in the window, but it was dark so he couldn't see much of anything. He thought about lighting the candle that he knew they kept on their table, but if someone happened to be awake that could cause trouble. He turned away, resigned to waking Sirius up when he got back and attempting to have a very urgent conversation with a drunk person when he heard someone whispering his name.

He spun around and looked back at Lily's house. It still looked the same, quiet and undisturbed.

"Up here, Remus." The voice whispered again. Remus looked up and saw Lily's head peeking out over the top of her roof.

"How did you get up there?" Remus laughed. "Why are you up there?"

"I always climb up here. And I had a feeling you'd be stopping by at some point. Figured I'd wait for you. Though, I thought you'd have come round sooner."

"Had to take care of something first." Remus said, now searching the ground for a way to climb up so he could join her on the roof.

"Use the barrel." Lily said, nodding towards a barrel in front of her neighbor's house. The houses were so close together though, that the roofs almost touched and Remus shook his head.

"Why have you never just moved it over to-"

"It's not our barrel." Lily interrupted. "Now get up here before we wake everyone up." Remus climbed up on the barrel and then he was stumped. The roof was well within reach, but there was nothing that he could grab hold of and pull himself up, there was nowhere for him to put his feet either, He heard Lily giggle, but refused to look in her direction. If she could work this out, than he was sure that he could. She was much shorter than him, and managed to do this in a dress, it should be easy for him.

But he really had no idea how to do this. He looked around the street to make sure that no one was out, and then he looked down at the ground. There was a lone piece of wood lying in the dirt. Remus felt bad for cheating, but Lily was still giggling and being unhelpful and that only fueled Remus's determination to prove that he could get onto the roof as well. He waved his hand up a bit and with it, the board came as well. It halted a few feet above the barrel and Remus wasted no time using it to give him the boost he needed, and within seconds he was on the roof.

As quietly as he could, he dropped the board back to the ground and then jumped over to Lily's roof. "What were you laughing about?" He asked, trying to look genuinely confused. Lily looked surprised.

"I was messing with you." She said, nodding towards the other side of her house. Remus saw the tops of a ladder poking out and tried not to curse himself out. She had used a ladder. He had risked getting caught and she had used a ladder. If he had felt foolish earlier, it was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. "I'm impressed though. No one's ever been able to climb up that way before."

"Wasn't too hard." Remus shrugged. "How many people have tried though?"

Lily laughed and bumped her shoulder against his. "Bit jealous are you? Thinking you're not the only boy I've had on my roof."

Remus blanched, not sure how to answer that. If he told her honestly that he wasn't jealous, and she thought he was, she wouldn't believe him. If he joked and said that he was, she would believe him, and if he said nothing than it looked like he was too embarrassed to say anything.

Looked as though he was going to get to have that conversation with her tonight, Bellatrix be damned.

"Lily, I think we need to talk."

"I know," Lily sighed. "But I'm still trying to work out what to do about Bella. And you promised you wouldn't say anything." She pushed her hair behind her ear and leant up against his shoulder. "We've been friends for years, Remus. If she was as horrible as she sounded this afternoon, don't you think I would have noticed? That's a really _big_ thing to miss about someone." Remus shifted uncomfortably at her words.

"People can be really good at hiding things about themselves if they want to be."

"You keeping secrets from me?" She asked, looking at him through her lashes, keeping her head on his shoulder.

"Everyone has secrets." He whispered, looking up at the moon. It looked to be a half moon tonight, it was clear though, and he could have counted the stars if he wanted to. "But that's not really what we need to talk about." He said, turning towards her, successfully removing her head from his shoulder without appearing to do so on purpose.

"I had a feeling it wasn't." Lily had a small smile on her lips, and it made Remus even more uncomfortable than he already was. So he decided he should delay a bit longer.

"What do you mean?"

"Remus, I'm not thick. You've been acting strange for a while now. Shying away from me, avoiding my gaze, making up excuses to not be around… Take today for example." She swung her hand out dramatically, as though she was about to set the scene for him. "I asked you what took you so long to get here and you said you had something else to do, but I bet that you were searching for someone else to talk to, and that's why you showed up so late."

"Well," Remus scratched his head, she was half right, but he didn't really want her to know that. "Actually, Arden came and found me. Sirius had got himself into a bar fight. I had to take him home."

"Oh." Lily shrugged. "Well, the point still stands. You wouldn't even stand next to me this morning." It had been yesterday morning too, hadn't it. When James had almost killed him for holding hands with Lily the other day. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Remus took a deep breath and nodded. He could do this. He never had before, and he had no idea how, but he had faith that he could do this. "It's just that I've noticed some things." He cringed.

"You've noticed some things?" Lily repeated, sounding amused. "Well that's always useful." Remus nodded, unable to get his body to do anything more.

"The first thing you have to understand I suppose, is that I think you are the most amazing person I have ever met in my life," He was talking too fast, but he was talking so he was counting it as a win. "I love spending time with you and you make me do things that I normally wouldn't do- which I normally wouldn't like but you make things seem easier and less frightening than they would be otherwise." He, unfortunately, took a peek at Lily right about then and was taken back at her bright expression. It interrupted his momentum and he found that he was, once again, at a loss for words. After a moment of him just gaping at her, she laughed a bit.

"You know, everyone kept telling me I was crazy." She said, still grinning at him. "But I had a feeling that you felt the same way."

"That I felt the same- What?" And before Remus could entirely process what was happening, Lily had leant forward and pressed her lips to his. He sat there, shocked beyond reason and didn't move a muscle. For her part, it didn't take Lily long to notice Remus's lack of response, and she soon pulled away, blushing slightly and looking confused.

"You don't feel the same way…" She trailed off. Remus sighed.

"That's what I was trying to tell you." Remus muttered, dropping his face into his hands and shaking his head. Lily let out another laugh, this one much less humorous than her laughs had been, and then she smacked him over the back of the head. "Ow!"

"What do you mean that _that's_ what you had been trying to tell me?" She smacked him again. "How can you think that saying that I'm the 'most amazing person you've ever met' is you telling me that you don't fancy me?"

"Come on, Lils." Remus scooted away from her, and for the first time since he had the feeling that she fancied him, it wasn't to prevent affectionate physical contact, it was to prevent her from hitting him. "You knew that I didn't think of you that way."

"I knew?" She was laughing again and it was starting to scare Remus. "What do you mean I knew? If I bloody knew, I wouldn't have kissed you!"

Remus flinched and nodded. "Alright, but-"

"If you say that I should have known than I will push you off this roof."

"Just hear me out," Remus said, putting his hands up. This had been a bad idea, a horrible idea. He shouldn't have done this. He should have waited for it to all blow up in his face some other way. Anything would have been better than Lily beating him on the roof of her house. There was a possibility for a lot of damage here.

"Don't make this worse please." Lily deflated a bit and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Lily," Remus sighed, rubbing his eyelids with the palms of his hands. "You don't fancy me."

"I said don't make it worse." Lily rested her forehead against her knees. "You telling me how I feel constitutes as you making it worse."

"Listen though, because you really don't-"

"I think I might love you, actually." Remus blanched for a moment, but then shook his head and powered through.

"Of course you do. And I love you too, but neither one of us loves each other like you're supposed to when you meet the right person."

"The right person?" Lily asked, peeking over at him. "What does that even mean?"

"You know," Remus shrugged. "The right person, the one that you fall head over heels for. They make you act stupid and forget how to breath and-"

"That sounds horrible and unpleasant."

"But it's not!" Remus laughed. "I mean, I suppose it is sometimes, but normally it's not. I've seen people who are in love, and the way they look at each other Lily," He sighed. "You don't look at me like that."

"I don't want that though." She said after a moment of deliberation. "I don't have time for that. I like you, and I like being with you and that's all it should take. My parents grew up next door to each other and were friends until the day she died. They had a great life. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. If you're parents weren't in love and they were happy, than that's great. But that's not what I want. I want to go weak at the knees and trip over myself and be absolutely terrified."

"Well, when you put it like that…"

Remus was quiet, unsure of how he could explain this to her a bit better. "I want to look at someone the way James looks at you." He said at length. "I know you don't fancy him, but you have to have noticed. And that's another thing, you don't fancy him, and his favorite part of the day is still seeing you. He's always making up excuses to why he needs to go see Bella or why we should take the route down through the kitchens even though taking the main corridor is about ten times faster. He acts like a fool and he's always embarrassing me, but… Well you have to notice, no?"

"Is he the reason you're rejecting me?"

"No." Remus said. "What did I just tell you? Love makes you do stupid things. If I was in love with you, I would probably end up getting fired over this. Actually he's more than a little dramatic so he might try and have me banished." Lily smiled a bit.

"I hadn't labeled you a romantic." She said , letting her legs stretch out in front of her.

"You should never put anything less than all your effort into something. That includes relationships."

"Poetic." She looked over at him and tilted her head. "We would be happy together you know."

"For a while, sure."

"You would grow tired of me?"

"You would realize that you missed out."

"No I wouldn't."

"Sure you would." Remus grinned. "We'd be attending a parade one day with our kids and you'd look out and see James and his wife and think, 'well, bloody hell. That could have been me.'" Lily laughed and punched Remus in the arm. He rubbed it, laughing along with her.

"I don't fancy, James."

"Never said you did." Remus said. "I was trying to imply that you would marry him for the crown." She scoffed.

"How dare you make that accusation!"

"What do you mean how dare I?" Remus laughed. "Didn't you tell James that you were going to marry his father for the crown? Why is marrying James for the crown a worse offence?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "The king is old. I wouldn't have to pretend to like him for as long."

"Of course! My mistake."

Lily bit her lip and looked up at the sky. "You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?"

"Are you joking?" Remus asked, trying not to laugh for her sake. He had the feeling it wouldn't be appreciated just now. "James would kill me if he found out."

"He doesn't own me." She muttered.

"No, but I'm his only real friend, Lils. I think it would be well within his right to be upset with me for kissing you."

"I kissed _you_. You just sat there."

"Still, he would find a way to make it my fault."

"He's a git."

"Nah, he's pretty great actually." Lily raised her brows.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" He feigned innocence.

"Why are you saying that he's pretty great? Are you trying to get me to like him?"

"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous. James is a prat, you know that, I know that-"

"How can he be 'pretty great' and a prat, Remus? You're contradicting yourself."

"James is a contradiction, Lils. He helps me carry his armor to the weapons room, and then holds the door closed behind me so I can't get out. It's just who he is. He's pretty great and a prat. I've learned to accept it."

"Well, I haven't." She let out a yawn and carefully stood up. "Look, I appreciate nearly everything about you today, you being honest with me, and making me laugh, and keeping Bella's secret for me, but I should go to bed."

"Of course." Remus stood up as well. "Do you mind if I use the ladder this time?"

"Still not sure how you managed to get up using the barrel."

"And I'm curious as to who else you've had on the roof now."

"I wish I could hang this over you, but I haven't had anyone on the roof before. No one could ever get up." Remus laughed.

"So I passed your test?"

"Of course you did." She smiled, looking slightly sad. Then she leant over and grabbed the top of the ladder, slowly lowering herself down until both her feet were on the ground. Remus climbed down the first few rungs and then jumped the rest of the way, landing right in front of her.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Of course you will." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Remus nodded and then turned to walk away. "Remus?" He turned back. "I'm really glad that we're friends."

He grinned. "Me too, Lily."

oOoOo

Dealing with a hung over Sirius when he was supposed to be waking up James was not on Remus's list of things he wanted to do. It had been a long night and he wasn't sure if he had got more than an hour of sleep, but he was sure that when he woke up, he was greeted by the sound of retching.

Luckily, Sirius had managed to get most of it out of the window.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Remus asked, swinging his legs out of bed and wishing he didn't have to. The cold morning air never did agree with him much.

"I'm never eating again." Sirius moaned, half hanging out of the window, wearing nothing but his underpants. "Why am I here, anyways?"

"You don't remember me taking you here?"

"You didn't take advantage of me, did you?"

Remus rolled his eyes. He didn't understand how he could still make jokes even when he looked like death. "No. I opened my door and threw you on the floor."

"You didn't even tuck me in or anything?"

"I didn't even get you a blanket. I'm not sure where your clothes went, but when I came back in to go to bed myself, you weren't wearing them."

Sirius pulled himself inside and looked over at Remus, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. "What do you mean when you came back to go to bed? You went out again after dropping me off?"

"Yes." Remus said, unsure if he wanted to let Sirius in on what happened. He had promised Lily he wouldn't tell anyone, but he needed to talk to someone. Sirius might find it funny to tell James though. "You passed out half past seven. I wasn't in the mood to go to bed so early."

"Oh." Sirius let the subject drop, looking oddly ashamed of himself. "You didn't have to let me stay here, you know. I would have been fine."

"I wasn't going to let you sleep on the street, Sirius." Remus said, leaving little room for argument.

"It's not your job to take care of me."

"Of course it is." Remus said sharply. "We're friends."

Sirius contorted his face so that it was void of emotion and then scowled, muttering to himself under his breath.

"Look," Remus sighed, throwing on a new shirt as he did. "I don't have time for your melodramatics. You and I are friends though, and if you need me to help you out, whether you like it or not, I'm going to help you out."

"I can take care of myself." He shot back.

"That's beside the point." Remus shook his head, not understanding why Sirius didn't seem to be getting it. "If the roles were reversed, I'd expect you to do the same for me. Get some more sleep, eat something and then come and find me. I need to talk to you about something." Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his scarf from his bedside table and ran out the door.

James was just leaving his room when Remus finally reached him. "Managed to get ready all by yourself today, did you?"

"Where were you?" James asked, ignoring the implications that Remus was making. "We've got things to do today."

"I didn't know that." Remus replied. "But I was taking care of Sirius. I don't know if you've talked to Arden since last night, but he had me come and collect Sirius after he got into a bar fight. He's currently hanging out of my window retching his guts up."

"Wonderful." James frowned, looking slightly disgusted. "Why does he do that though?"

"Well, he's hung over." Remus shrugged. "I've never been that drunk before, but I have been familiarized with what comes afterwards thanks to Sirius. And Arden come to think of it."

"I mean why does he get so drunk all the time." James sighed. "Never mind, it's not that important. You and I need to get out of here before my father comes looking for me."

"He's up and about then?" Remus asked, glad to hear that the king was feeling better.

"Unfortunately." Despite what Remus had thought, James did not seem glad about his father's recovery. James looked over at Remus and saw the confused look on his face. "He's invited some of our neighbors over."

"What does that mean?"

"He wants me to get married."

For a long while, neither one of the boys spoke and Remus looked at James, quite slack jawed. James took a deep breath and grabbed Remus's arm, pulling him down the corridor.

"He's been mentioning it for a while now, but he's always said that we can wait until I'm ready. But now he's saying that he wants to be there for my wedding and he doesn't know how much time he has left and… I don't want to get married, Remus."

"No, of course not." Remus agreed, still quite stunned to find this out. "So he has people coming here today?"

"Yes."

"How did he set that up so quickly? He was sick only a week ago."

"I don't know. He might have had this in the works for a while now. That wouldn't surprise me. I'm actually surprised that he told me they were coming at all. He's giving me time to escape."

"Escape?" As they had been walking past Bella's room, she rose from one of her fancy chairs, dressed in a dark green gown, and made her way to the corridor. "Whatever would you want to escape for?" Remus almost choked on his tongue when he saw her. He had to admit, she really did know how to play people. If Remus hadn't been in the woods yesterday, if he hadn't heard those things come out of her mouth, he wouldn't believe them. He wouldn't have suspected her any more than he had previously after Sirius had suggested that she had poisoned the king.

And she had magic too. This could be disastrous.

"What are you talking about Bella? Why wouldn't I want to get out of here. Father wants me to marry some stranger so that our kingdom has a queen after he's gone. Don't know why he's so keen on that though. My mum's been gone for as long as I've been alive. He never remarried, the kingdom can survive without a queen."

"I think that's the first time I've heard you talk about your mum." Remus said. "And I'm very disappointed in you."

"He's angry." Bella said, placing a gentle hand on James' shoulder. Remus flinched slightly, his instincts telling him to get James as far from Bella as he could. "Everyone does and says things without thinking them through when they're angry."

"I'm going to run away for the day. You can tell father if you'd like." Remus didn't think that would be a good idea. If she got the king alone she might try to kill him again. He turned to look at Lily and share a look with her before he noticed that Lily wasn't with them.

"Where's Lily?" He asked, unintentionally interrupting Bella. She gave him a look but James didn't seem to notice.

"I meant to ask you the same thing." Bella said, clearing her throat. "She never came in this morning. I still haven't got my breakfast."

"Was she ill yesterday?" James asked, dropping his angry demeanor and looking concerned. Remus refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Not that I could tell." Bella shrugged. The way she had done it though made Remus suspicious that she had Lily tied up in a trunk somewhere in her room though. That might just have been because he knew Bella was a liar and attempting to murder someone. "I wonder what's got her running so late."

"Remus and I will go and find her." James said, pushing back his shoulders and standing up a bit straighter. Bella laughed at him.

"You don't have to preen right now, dear brother. Lily's not around." And even though she was a wannabe murderer, Remus could tell what she was doing right now. She was teasing James good naturedly, because she might honestly care about him. She wanted him to go after the girl that he actually fancied even though she knew the king would never allow for such a thing to happen. And maybe it was because she wanted him out of the way, but maybe it was because she wanted James to be happy. Remus, for some unfathomable reason, wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, even though he was still unsure whether or not Lily was in any danger.

"I'm not preening." James scoffed. "Go down to the kitchens and get something to eat. You're obviously suffering from hunger."

"Oh, James." Bella patted his cheek. "You're hopeless you know. Now, go and find my maid."

"Yes, ma'am." James ruffled her hair, causing her to swat his arm away and then Remus followed him down the corridor.

"So," James sighed, once they finally reached the courtyard and started towards Lily's house. "What did you get up to yesterday? Aside from taking care of a drunk Sirius, that is."

"I was your servant." Remus shrugged, feeling his stomach tighten up. He didn't like keeping so many secrets from James. And he had some big ones. There was the one he was always keeping, that he had magic, then there was the one about his sister trying to kill his father, the one about the woman he was in love with kissing him, and then Sirius's secrets as well. He didn't like knowing things that he couldn't share with his friends. Which is why he needed to talk to Lily and Sirius.

"Hardly." James laughed. "Really though, I let you leave early, what did you do?"

"I told you," Remus sighed. "Arden came and found me and told me that I needed to get Sirius before he threw him in the dungeon."

"You didn't do anything else? Anything fun?"

"Nope." Remus lied. He felt his stomach give another lurch, but it would lurch even more if he were to tell James the truth. Especially when James would punch him in the gut.

"You're so boring without me." Remus couldn't help but laugh at that, given the last twenty four hours that he'd experienced.

"You have no idea." He said, when James looked over at him for an explanation. "Nothing strange ever used to happen to me before I met you." And that was true enough. He had been born with magic, so it had never been strange to him, and everything else had all been James' fault as far as he was concerned.

"You should be more grateful then." Remus laughed again. "Where do you think Lily is and will looking for her get me out of meeting our neighbors?"

"I don't know about that, but she's never been late to work before. She usually stops by Dumbledore's to make sure that I'm not late either."

"Something feels off." James said and it made Remus's stomach lurch yet again. James had good instincts, if he thought something was off, that only made the image of Lily tied up in Bella's trunk even more vivid in his mind.

"Well, let's check her house before we jump to any wild conclusions." Remus said, mostly for himself, but he thought James might benefit from hearing it as well.

"Right, of course."

* * *

 **AN: It's been a while, but it's been a really long month for me so I hope you'll forgive me. Let's just say that this year has kicked me in the ass and I'm really hoping that 2016 will be a lot nicer.**

 **Reviews are the bomb-diggity.**


	9. A Nearby Fire

_**If you planted hope today in any hopeless heart, if someone's burden was lighter because you did your part, if you caused a laugh that chased a tear away, if tonight your name is mentioned when someone kneels to pray, then your day was well spent.**_

 _ **~ Anonymous**_

 **Chapter Nine: A Nearby Fire**

Lily had been up at the crack of dawn, as usual.

She had gone to the market and done the chores that her father needed her to do, as usual.

She had walked up to the castle smelling slightly of fish, as usual.

And then she had walked into Bella's room to find her already awake and sitting at her vanity, which was decidedly _un_ usual.

"Good morning." She smiled brightly, determined to act as though everything was normal, something that she had been practicing with an imaginary Bella in her head since late last night. "You're up early today."

"Yes." Bella agreed, watching as Lily went about making her bed. "I don't need you today."

"Excuse me, my Lady?"

"I don't need you today." Bella repeated. "Go home."

"I-" Lily shook her head. "I don't understand, Lady Bellatrix-"

"Go home, Lily." Lily thought for a moment that Bella knew that Lily had followed her yesterday. That she had seen her and Remus sneaking away, or perhaps she had used her magic to find out somehow. "We have visitors coming and your presence is not required, or appropriate."

Lily nodded slowly. "Are you sure I can't get you anything before I leave? Some breakfast maybe?"

"No. Go home." She sighed. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"No one suggested otherwise, ma'am."

"Have a lovely day, Lily." Bella said as Lily walked out the door. Lily almost smiled at her sweet tone, before catching herself. Bella was a murderer, she didn't actually want Lily to have a good day, she probably wanted to tie rocks to her legs and then throw her in the lake.

This was the first day off that Lily had had without Remus in a long while, so she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. She walked through the courtyard for a while, talking with the venders and enjoying the sun before someone ran into her. She had been leaning over, looking at a tray of knickknacks and the force of the impact caused her to lose her balance and fall into a large pile of hay just to the left of the vender's stand.

"Excuse me!" Lily said, rolling over in the hay to see who had caused her to fall.

"Imagine that! Just the bird I was coming to find." Sirius grinned, reaching out a hand to help her up. "Funny how fate just knocks you into who you're looking for sometimes."

"Fate had nothing to do with it." Lily scoffed, refusing his hand and pushing herself up on her own. Sirius chuckled a bit at her expense but lowered his hand and stepped back. "As far as I can tell, you're still drunk from last night."

"So Remus already found you today then." Sirius sighed. "Do you know where I can find him?"

"He hasn't talked to me today. He told me last night that Arden made him babysit you."

"Last night?"

"Yes, last night." Lily snapped. "And I don't know where he is, but I assume James has him doing something or other."

"I checked the training grounds and James' room." Sirius shrugged. "They weren't around."

"Well, I'm not Remus's keeper, so I don't know where he is."

"You would like that though, wouldn't you?" Sirius grinned, giving her a wink.

Lily felt her stomach hit the ground and momentarily forgot how to breath. "He told you?" Sirius cocked his head to the side and drew his brows together.

"What are you talking about, lass?"

"I can't believe he told you. He promised that he wouldn't." Lily tucked her hair behind her ears and looked at the ground. She suddenly had a very strong urge to defend herself. "Look, I only kissed him last night because he was making it sound like he was alright with it. How was I supposed to know that he was trying to let me down easy when he was going on about how wonderful I am? It was poor planning on his part if you ask me and-"

"Whoa there, red. That's a whole lot of information that I'm needing to take in and I'm not feeling the greatest. You kissed Remus?" He asked, looking far more shocked than he should if Remus had told him about it already."

"Damn." She muttered, shaking her head. "He hadn't told you."

"Not yet he hadn't." Sirius laughed. "Oh, the poor sod. I told him. I told him that you fancied him and he didn't believe me." He slung an arm around Lily. "He's a right pain in the arse, isn't he? Completely blind and whatnot? Good mate though-"

"Don't touch me." Lily slunk out of his grip and stepped away. "You smell horrible."

"Well, I've been vomiting all morning and haven't bathed in a month."

"That's disgusting."

"You don't smell too great yourself." He leant over and shoved his nose in her hair. "Fishy."

"Don't do that." She pushed his face away and he laughed.

"Back to Remus though," Sirius put his arm around Lily again and started leading her through the courtyard. She didn't push him away this time. "What did he do when you kissed him?"

"I really don't want to talk about this." Lily sighed, not sure why she was following him.

"I do."

"Well, you can talk to Remus then." She snapped.

"But I've got you to talk to right here, and who knows where Remus is?"

"He didn't do anything alright?" Lily muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at her feet. "He just sat there and made me feel like a right prat."

"No, he's the prat. You're a catch, I promise. Remus is just too much of a goodie goodie to go after the girl his mates in love with."

"So it is James' fault?" Lily laughed. "Of course it is." Sirius laughed as well, tightening his grip on her shoulder. "Remus tried to tell me that it wasn't. Spouted off some nonsense about how true love is different and we both deserve it and how we're supposed to forget to breath or something." Sirius laughed again.

"Well, now I'm afraid I'm with Remus on this one." He said. Lily looked up at him and frowned.

"Honestly?"

"Yes. If you're going to stick yourself to one person for the rest of your life, you better be doing it 'cause you can't live without that person for a single day."

Lily's frown deepened as she thought about what he said. "That was strangely both cynical and romantic at the same time."

"I truly am a wonder."

"Apparently." Lily said under her breath. "Where are you taking me?"

"I thought we'd just go for a walk." Sirius shrugged. "See where our feet take us."

"I don't want to go for a walk with you."

"Oh, yes. You're working for my cousin right now, aren't you?" Sirius gave Lily an apprehensive look. "Remus tells me that you two get along just fine. You and Bella that is. Why is that?"

"I had forgotten that you were her cousin!" Lily said, shrugging Sirius's arm from around her shoulders only to grab it and pull him to the side of the cobbled road. "I need to talk to you."

"Well, you could at least buy me dinner first." Sirius laughed, happily following after her as she darted around people and buildings until they were in a secluded area near the river that ran through the city. When there were no longer any people about, Lily let go of Sirius's arm and started pacing back and forth, unsure of how she should start this conversation, or if she should have it at all. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours, red?"

"Shut up." Lily snapped, not bothering to look up at him. "I need to get my thoughts straight."

"Alright."

"The king isn't the greatest of people, right?"

"Sure, he seems like a real arse."

"And he's done horrible things, yes?"

"Kills people whenever he pleases."

"So he's got to have a lot of enemies, no?"

"I suppose so. I mean, I haven't been here very long but Dumbledore and Remus told me about the witch-"

"Did he kill Bellatrix's father?" She interrupted Sirius and finally looked up at him. He still had his mouth open, but his words had been swallowed up by what she asked. Something about him shifted as well. For all the time that she had known Sirius, personally and then through Remus as well, he had been a happy-go-lucky, drunk. Someone who, despite his name, didn't take anything seriously and was almost always laughing, and Lily had found that strange, because people can't always be happy, that's not how life works. When they are always happy on the outside, it's more for other people's sake than their own and there's always a reason behind it.

Sirius's eyes got dark and his jaw locked. He took a step closer to Lily and she took a step back. It wasn't voluntary, she hadn't thought about it, she was frightened just then and her body reacted accordingly. "Why do you think I know _anything_ about that?"

It took Lily a moment to find her voice after that, and when she did, it was unsteady and too quiet, the sound of the river almost drowning her out. "Well, before I was just hoping you could tell me something, but after your reaction there…"

"Did Remus tell you something?" He all but growled at her, taking another step closer. "I knew that old man wasn't going to keep his mouth closed for very long, but he had no right, _no right_ to tell anyone, anything about me."

"Calm down," Lily took a few more steps back and put her hands up. "All Remus told me was that you were Bella's cousin and that you thought she might have tried to kill the king. That's it, no one is talking about you behind your back. And Remus wouldn't do that, you know him. He's all for letting people keep their secrets."

"He should be." Sirius said, putting the emphasis on just the right words to give Lily the impression that Remus had a secret that he shared with Sirius. And if she hadn't still been slightly frightened of Sirius, she might have dwelled on that for a moment longer than she did.

"Yes, okay, so back to my original question…"

Sirius deflated a bit and walked over to the edge of the creek. "Yes, technically, King Charles is responsible for her father's death." Lily chewed on her lip and slowly walked over to him.

"You know I'm going to have to ask you, right?" Sirius sighed.

"A lot of shit happened within a very short amount of time about six years ago, Bella's dad, my brother, we both left. There was some confusion and a lot of anger and not all of it directed where it should have been."

"That just raises more questions than anything." Lily said softly, trying to avoid making him angry again. Sirius sighed and sat down on the grass and patted the spot next to him.

"Why don't you tell me why you're so curious first." He gave her a tired grin.

"Right, of course." Lily sat down, tucking her legs underneath her, feeling nervous again. "It's Bella. She told me yesterday she wanted to go riding by herself, only she told me that I couldn't tell anyone and that it was very important that the king didn't find out. So, naturally, I followed her-"

"You followed her?" Sirius looked at her incredulously.

"I took Remus with me." Lily defended, though after what she had found out about Bella, it didn't seem like very strong defense. Sirius however, not knowing what Lily was about to tell him, was satisfied with this answer. "Anyway, we followed her through the woods out to this little wooden house and we snuck up to the window to listen to what was going on." She took a deep breath. "Her sister was there."

"Cissy?" Sirius asked, not sounding as surprised as Lily thought he should be for someone who was finding out that Bella's supposedly dead sister was actually alive.

"Yes. And she was trying to talk Bella down." Another deep breath. "It was Bella. She tried to kill the king. And she has magic."

Yet again, Sirius didn't react quite how Lily was anticipating. He laughed, and not a tired laugh or a laugh of disbelief, but a deep laugh that started in his stomach and made him throw back his head. The sound bounced around their secluded area, making Lily feel like a fool.

"I'm sorry," She said, her cheeks getting red. "What's funny about this? Bella tried to kill the king, and she has magic. Which she uses too. She uses it and let's other people take the fall for her. She let's other people die because of things that she's done."

"Her having magic wouldn't be an issue if she wasn't a horrible person."

"Yes, okay, but she is a horrible person," Lily clasped her hands together and rested them on her knees. "She tried to kill the king and from what I heard yesterday, she's going to try again."

"Probably." Sirius nodded, picking at the grass and twirling it around his fingers. "She tends to throw fits if she doesn't get what she wants."

"Sirius," Lily sighed. "I need your help."

"Well, what do you expect me to do with this information? I'm not a knight, I'm not James, I'm not the king… I have no power. You're just telling me this to ease your conscious." Lily flinched at that.

"I am not. I want to know what you think I should do."

"But that's the thing, Lils." Sirius nodded. "You want me to tell you what you should do so that you don't have to decide for yourself. You know what you should do."

Lily wrung her hands. "Well, I told you what I wanted to tell you."

"Yes you did." Sirius picked at some more grass.

"You're not going to explain, are you?"

He sighed. "Look, I get that you and Bella are friends and you don't want her to hate you or feel like you betrayed her, but if you don't tell someone, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life. She's going to hurt someone that you really care about and that's going to be on you. And unless you want to end up like me," He waved his hands out, "A drunk, lowly bastard who hasn't bathed in a month, I suggest you start telling everyone you think should know about Bella."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah." He threw the strand of grass he had in his hand and rubbed his palms against his eyelids. "Reg was just a kid. This man, his name was Tom, he wasn't a good person. But I didn't say anything because- Because… Well, I don't really know. He seemed to hate everyone as much as I did I suppose. My father didn't like me, but Tom seemed to."

"I'm sorry." Lily pressed her lips together.

"Don't." Sirius snapped, turning to glare at her. "Don't bloody apologize to me-"

"I'm not apologizing for what happened to you." Lily interrupted, holding up her hands. "I know that nothing that I could say would make you feel any better about that, but I am sorry for the way I've been treating you. You're not a bad bloke, and I've been giving you a really hard time- I've been giving Remus a hard time for being friends with you as well. I'm sorry for that." Sirius chuckled and then pushed himself off the ground.

"I forgive you." He offered her a hand for the second time that morning, and this time she accepted it. "Now," He gave her a look and she nodded. "Let's go and do the right thing."

"Alright."

OOoOo

Remus and James had reached Lily's house only to find it empty. James walked up to the window and stuck his head inside. "No one's home." He said, after Remus had already come to that very conclusion a moment before. He might have said something to James about him needing to listen more, but Lily not being home was really worrying Remus.

"You don't think something happened to her, do you?" James asked, walking around to check if Lily was behind her house for whatever reason.

"I'm sure she's fine." Remus said, finding it hard to sound convincing.

"Bella said that she didn't show up for work Remus, unless you know something that I don't, it seems as though something has happened to her." Remus looked around and then sighed.

"I have no idea where she is."

"Then we should head back to the castle and gather some of my knights to go and look for her."

"Maybe we should check in with Bella again first." Remus suggested, hoping that if they went up to her room and it was empty, Remus could snoop around for some clues. "She might have just been late."

"If she had been late, we would have run into her on our way down here."

"Not necessarily." Remus said. "I know that she does quite a bit for her father before she goes up to the castle. She might have got hung up somewhere and just went a different way."

"She works far too hard." James muttered.

"She's fine, James." Remus muttered right back. "Normal people have jobs and things that they need to do for their families."

"Well Lily isn't 'normal people.'"

"Actually she is." The boys turned on their heel to find Lily's older sister Petunia standing behind them with a hand on her hip. When she saw that it was Prince James before her, she quickly ducked into a curtsy. "Forgive me your highness, I did not know that it was you." Remus had only met Petunia a handful of times and she had been exceptionally unpleasant on every occasion.

"You are forgiven." James waved away her apology. "Do you know Lily?"

Petunia gapped at him, unable to form a single word. Remus rolled his eyes. "Petunia, you were asked a question!" He clapped his hands near her face, feeling only slightly bad about it when she flinched away. "We're looking for Lily, have you seen her?"

"I thought you were sure that she was fine." James nudged him in the ribs.

"I lied." Remus rubbed at his side, still glaring at Petunia.

"She left for the docks this morning before I woke up." Petunia said, looking down at her slightly muddy shoes. She shifted her dress so that it was covering them. "Like she always does. Then she came back before father was awake to make him breakfast."

"You're Lily's sister?" James asked, looking far more shocked than was polite.

"Yes, sire." Petunia nodded, curtsying again.

"Stop doing that."

"What did she do after she made breakfast." Remus asked, pushing James behind him.

Petunia rolled her eyes and gained back some of her usual attitude, now that Remus had focused her attention on himself. "She told me to get a job, threw my cat out the window and then went off to the castle."

"She threw your cat-"

"Lily hates cats." Remus explained quickly. "So, Lily did go to work this morning?"

"Yes." Petunia nodded.

"You're positive?" James asked, stepping around Remus.

"Y-yes, sire." She repeated, looking as though she wanted to curtsy again.

"Thank you." James gave her a nod and then grabbed Remus's arm and started dragging him towards the castle. "We'll check in with Bella again and then we're getting the knights."

"I'm not arguing." Remus said. "If something happened to her…" His mind once again drifted to all of the awful things that Bella could potentially have done to her.

Just as they reached the courtyard, Arden, Frank and Lance came riding up to them on their horses. "James!" Arden called, tearing off his helmet. "We've been looking everywhere for you-"

"What happened? Is Lily okay?"

"Lily?" Frank asked, also taking his helmet off. "She's fine. I saw her walking around the courtyard earlier with Sirius."

"That's ridiculous, she hates Sirius." Remus said, furrowing his brow.

"Listen to me!" Arden shouted. "You two need to run to the armory and get your things, there's been an attack two towns over."

"An attack?" James asked, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Lily had never been lost, same as Remus. Who would attack one of Camelot's surrounding towns? That seemed dangerous.

"We'll wait for you at the edge of the city, but we have to get down there. People are flooding in, all injured. They need as much help as they can get." Lance pulled his horse ahead and Arden, shifted for a moment, uncomfortable following orders given by someone other than James, but Lance was right, so soon Frank and Arden followed him.

oOoOo

By the time that James and the knights of Camelot reached the town of Leefside, most of the surrounding barns and houses were on fire, and there were very few people left. The men that had stayed behind were frantically trying to save the animals that had been locked in the barns when the attack had happened, or trying to bring water up from the creek to put out the flames. James quickly directed a few of his men to start helping them, and Remus, who wanted to get off his horse as quickly as possible, offered to stay in town while James and the others rode off to try and find who had done this.

"Who would do something like this?" Arden asked, picking up a discarded bucket from the ground and jogging towards the creek. Remus knew that he could be more useful if he could just get to a more secluded area where no one could see him. He scanned the buildings to look for one that was not in any danger of burning to the ground. He spotted a house in between a couple barns that had somehow escaped the attack and took off towards it.

The door to the house was locked, but there was enough confusion happening around him that he felt safe to use his magic to get the door opened. There was no one inside, so he quickly shut the door and sat down in the middle of the room, closed his eyes and concentrated on what he wanted to happen. He had never attempted to do anything much more than summon an object before, and he knew that this was going to be difficult, but these people were going to lose their livelihood if he didn't do something to help them.

oOoOo

James knew that searching the surrounding area was a lost cause. They had waited too long to get out here and now they should be focusing on damage control instead of circling around and watching the town burn.

"Head back to town and get the flames out." James ordered.

Lance rode up next to James. "Why Leefside?" He asked. "There's nothing out here."

James could only shrug. There was no logical reason for anyone to attack Leefside. It was a small town that didn't supply anything to the castle, or anyone else for that matter. They made just enough to sustain themselves and that was it.

They rode back to the town, stopping just on the edge to survey the damage. "That wasn't there before." Lance said, pointing towards the sky. James looked up to see giant storm clouds rolling in over the tree line. The clouds were moving quickly and were soon over the town, the rain pouring down at an incredible speed and dousing the burning buildings, putting out the flames at a speed that the knights could not have hoped.

"Lucky, I suppose." James said, finding himself without another explanation. He was beginning to get uncomfortable, not having any of the answers.

"No," Lance disagreed. "I mean, that really wasn't there before. I think someone is… It just appeared out of nowhere."

"Are you suggesting that someone is using magic to put out the fire?" James asked.

"Yes." Lance jumped down from his horse. "Look, the rain is only falling on the town. We're not getting wet at all." James looked around and saw that the rain was almost forming some type of wall at the town lines, falling not in the forest surrounding the town, but stretching wide enough to cover all the burning buildings.

"This was a diversion." James muttered.

"What?"

"This was a diversion. EVERYONE BACK TO THE CASTLE!"

"Now that makes more sense." Lance sighed, jumping back on his horse and following James back towards the castle. It didn't take James' mind long to delve into all of the horrible possibilities of what could be happening back at the castle, and like an idiot, he had brought the bulk of his knights with him, leaving the castle virtually unprotected.

oOoOo

Bella was sitting in front her mirror, a brush in hand, but judging by the state of her hair, she had yet to actually run it through her hair. She was alone, having sent Lily away this morning at the request as her sister's note that had been sent late the previous night. Sending James and Remus on a wild goose chase had been a stroke of genius as far as she was concerned because now she knew that she would not be interrupted, she could sit in her room and wait for her sister.

Her sister had been able to talk some sense into her yesterday, and now that she had stepped back and was looking at her problem from a different angle, she understood where her sister had been coming from. It would be rash to kill the king herself, to do anything that could be traced back to her, and she wasn't sure if that's what she wanted. It wasn't as though she was afraid of what would happen to her if she did kill him, with the type of magic she had, no one would be able to do anything that would hurt her or contain her.

And she really did want to see the look on his face when he found out that it was her that was bringing about the end of his miserable life.

"Your sister sent me." Bella, not liking to appear as though she'd been taken by surprise, slowly turned her head to see who had entered her room without her noticing.

"Are you mocking me?" Bella asked quietly, placing her brush down and reaching for her drawer. She had no idea who this stranger was, but she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and wanted some sort of assurance. If she could reach into the drawer inconspicuously, the stranger wouldn't know that she was reaching for a dagger.

"Mocking you?" The man entered her room and closed the door behind him. "No, dear child. I wouldn't dream of it."

"Then why do you speak to me of my dead sister."

The man studied her thoughtfully. "I'm no friend of the king, if that's what you're thinking. Narcissa Malfoy told me that you needed help with something."

"Cissy sent you?" The man nodded. "And who are you?"

The man walked further into the room and ran his hand along her velvet drapes. "You haven't heard of me yet." He said softly, looking out the window. "Though, soon, there shall not be a man, woman or child who does not know my name."

Bellatrix raised a brow and stood up from her stool. "And why is that?"

"You can talk to your cousin if you wish." The man said, looking over at her now. "Sirius and I used to be rather good friends-"

"Any friend of Sirius is no friend of mine." Bella interrupted. "You can leave."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Please do not interrupt me when I am speaking." Bella laughed a bit and had half a mind to throw him out of her room.

"Who are you?" She asked instead.

"I go by Lord Voldemort."

"That means nothing to me."

"Not yet." He gave her a small smile. "But your sister insisted that I speak to you. She told me that you had magic, and that you were quite powerful."

"She told you that? That's a secret! She can't just-"

"Shush, dear girl. I have magic as well." Bella took a step back and turned her head slightly.

"You have magic?"

"Yes." He nodded. "And I hate king Charles more than you could ever imagine."

"He killed my family."

"He hired Dumbledore." Voldemort's lips curled up and his expression hardened. Bella, who had always found Dumbledore to be rather endearing and comforting, was confused by this, but she had never met another person who had magic, so she didn't asked.

"How did you meet Cissy?"

"Lucius Malfoy is an associate of mine." He turned back away from her and was now fiddling with a perfume bottle that was on the mantle. "But we can discuss this at length later. The knights should have worked out that the fire was a decoy by now. All I need to know at the moment, is that you will be willing to help me take down the king and his retched son when the time comes."

Bella shook her head and tried to process everything he had just said. "The fire?"

"It's unimportant right now. Can I count on your help?"

"Well, I mean…" She thought about it. She had been ready to kill the king just a week ago, she had _attempted_ to kill him, sat at his bedside and held his hand while he drew what she thought would be his last breaths. But she didn't want James dead. He was like her brother. They had been together for so long and he was always there for her. They laughed, they joked, hell, she'd even cried on his shoulder a few times. "I can't let you hurt James." She finally said. "I have no qualms about helping you kill the king, in fact if you don't have a plan soon, I'll probably try it on my own again, but James is my brother, and no harm shall come to him."

"If that's how you feel now, I suppose that will do." Voldemort smiled. "Though, I will attempt to change your mind."

"Why? What has James done to you?"

"Nothing. But if you want to be queen of Camelot…" He smiled and started walking towards the door. "Well, we can't let the current heir live, can we?"

oOoOo

Remus got the fires under control rather quickly, sitting on the floor of the one bedroom house he had rushed into. When he opened his eyes, to check the flames, he noticed that the shouting had stopped. In fact, everything was very quiet, much quieter than it should be. Remus stood up and walked over to the door and peeked his head out to find the charred town quite empty. There were no knights rushing about, there were no men dosing their barns with water, there was just a mostly burnt town, and that was all.

"Remus?" Someone called for him from behind one of the barns.

"I'm over here."

"Are you alright?" Lance came rushing towards him, sword drawn, looking ready to fight.

"I'm fine." Remus assured him, putting his hands up and walking completely out of the house.

"Where have you been?" Lance asked, stopping in front of him and inspecting him through the slit in his helmet. It was always a bit unnerving to be around Lancelot alone. He always looked like one of the suits of armor that were decorating the corridors of the castle, without other people around, it was harder to convince yourself that you weren't imagining the whole scenario in your head. Especially when you had no face to put to his voice. Actually, Remus couldn't remember seeing any part of Lance at all. He was always in full gear, all the time.

He shook his head and focused on what was in front of him. "Where did everyone else go?" Remus asked, trying to draw the question away from himself and where he had been.

"What- James worked out that this was a diversion. They all ran back to the castle." Lance said. "He noticed that you were missing and sent me back to get you. We thought you were in trouble."

"I'm fine." Remus repeated. "What do you mean this was a diversion?"

"It's the only explanation for why anyone would attack this place." Lance shrugged. "But they need us back at the castle so…" He looked around. "I don't know what happened to your horse."

"You can run ahead." Remus said. "I'm not going to be much help in a fight anyway."

"No." Lance shook his head. "James told me I was to make sure you made it back safely."

"He needs your help, Lance." Remus urged. "My horse is somewhere at the edge of the wood. I'll catch up, I promise."

Lance didn't move for a moment, Remus figured he was thinking about it, but he couldn't be sure because he couldn't see the man's face. "Alright." He finally said. "But if you let anything happen to yourself…"

"I won't. I'll be careful."

"I'll see you back at the castle then." With that, Lance turned and ran off towards wherever he left his horse. Remus watched him go, and it was a lucky thing he did. While running, Lance swerved around a fallen log that was still burning, and just as he was getting back to the middle of the road, away from the crisped buildings, a chimney gave way and started falling towards him. Just as he put his hands up to block the incoming debris, Remus flung his hands up, freezing the falling bricks in mid-air.

It had been instinctual, to save him, to stop him from being crushed to death, but now Lance had unfroze from his previous position and noticed that the bricks had conveniently stopped falling towards him. He looked from the bricks, to Remus, to Remus's raised hand.

"How in the hell did you do that?" Lance asked, his voice raising an octave or two. "I should be- but you- the storm… Are you a wizard?"

"You can't tell anyone." Remus answered, moving his arm to the right and letting the debris fall to the ground away from Lance. "King Charles will have me killed if he finds out."

"You just risked exposing yourself to save my life." Lance laughed, his voice still a bit unnaturally high. "I'll cut off my left arm if you want." He shook his head. "Actually, my right arm. I'm left handed- but still. I owe you my life."

"You really don't." Remus felt his cheeks starting to warm up. He didn't know how to deal with this type of admiration. He had saved James's life, and people had thanked him, but he had also gotten the job of James's manservant about a minute after he saved James and he was able to focus on how upset he was at the time instead of how uncomfortable the attention made him.

"But I do." Lance rushed up to him, and threw his arms around Remus. "That chimney would have killed me." Remus froze, unsure of how to respond to this usually stand-offish knight hugging him.

"You would have done the same for me." Remus said, clearing his throat awkwardly. Lance took about three steps back after that and cleared his own throat.

"Sorry." He coughed. "I'm just- I'm very grateful. And if there's anything you should ever need, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you." Remus gave a half nod and then motioned towards Lance's horse. "But right now, I think you should be getting back to the castle."

oOoOo

James didn't know what to think as he ran up the stone steps on the castle. He had been so easily fooled, and an idiot. He should not have taken all his knights with him when he heard that the town had been attacked. He should have stopped and taken a moment to think about why the town was being attacked, remembered that just recently someone had attempted to kill his father and then split everyone up.

"Father!" He called out, running for the throne room. He skidded to a halt right before the doors and through them open. "Father!" Charles Potter looked up at his son with wide eyes quickly adopting the alarmed look that James had.

"What's the matter, son?" James looked around the room for any signs of trouble but all he found was the King and Queen of Durmstrang along with their daughters.

James cleared his throat. "Leefside was attacked." He began, regaining his mental footing and walking into the room. "It was all but burnt to the ground less than an hour ago. I believe it was a diversion. Where's Bella?"

The king looked around the room, as if noticing her absence for the first time. "She should be here by now." He said quietly. "I had assumed she was running late because her maid never showed up today." Lily. James cursed in his mind. He had forgotten that she had gone missing.

"I'll go and get her, I'm sure she's fine." James assured his dad. "I'll send some guards here to protect you. Everyone stay in this room. You'll all be safe here, no matter what's going on."

James ran up the four flights of stairs to Bella's room and threw open her door to find her standing near her vanity, attempting to put on a necklace.

"James?" She sounded surprised to see him, but didn't appear to be in distress. "Thank goodness you're here. Can you help me?" James looked around her room and didn't notice anything out of place. The window was open, but that wasn't a sign of alarm, just out of the ordinary.

"I need you to come with me." James said, taking the necklace and quickly fastening it around her neck. "To the throne room. The castle's been broken into."

"What?" Her tone was disbelieving. "How do you know?"

"I don't know for sure at the moment." James said. "But Leefside was burnt to the ground, and the only reason anyone would burn Leefside down is to distract us."

"I've never even heard of Leefside." Bella agreed.

"It was pretty bad." James sighed, putting an arm around her and pulling her out the door. "We're going to be out there all week rebuilding."

"Why?" Bella asked. "It's not as though your men are responsible for what happened."

"That doesn't mean that we shouldn't help." James said, giving her a funny look. Bella reached up and pushed some of James' hair away from his face.

"You're such a kind man, brother." She smiled at him and James' funny look became more pronounced. He then cleared his throat and dropped his arm from around her.

"Quick question, have you seen Lily yet?"

"What? Oh. No, I haven't. Did you look for her?"

"I was." James ran a hand through his hair. "But then I had to go to Leefside. I'll look for her again after I get this situation sorted out."

"Soon hopefully. I'm starting to get worried about her."

"I'm sure she's fine."

oOoOo

"I am _not_ fine." Lily snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the ground. "I'm supposed to be talking to James right now, but there was an attack on Leefside and now I'm tending to the injured."

"It's going to be alright, Lils." Sirius sighed, letting his head fall back. "And that's the last time I'm saying it."

"What if Bella had something to do with this?"

"Why the hell would Bella attack Leefside? There's nothing there worth attacking." One of the injured women looked over at him and cleared her throat. "You know I'm right." Sirius shrugged, not looking apologetic in the slightest.

"Keep your foot elevated." Lily said to the woman. She rolled her eyes and did as Lily instructed.

"We may not be a great town, but we are worth saving."

"I never said that you weren't." Sirius laughed. "I said your town wasn't worth attacking. It's a completely different thing."

"Can you stop harassing the injured people?"

"Lily?" Lily looked over her shoulder and saw a rather bewildered looking Remus walking her way. "Where have you been all day?"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, still helping a little girl wrap her leg with gauze. "I've been here for the last hour."

"Bella said that you never showed up to work and sent me and James out looking for you right before Leefside was attacked! I've been worried sick about you all morning." He went to throw his arms around her just as she turned to face Sirius. He was able to put his arms back down without falling into her, but it was still awkward. Fortunately, Lily didn't give him much of a chance to dwell on that.

"I told you!" She pointed at Sirius and stomped her foot. "She's up to something."

"Yes, and if it wasn't for these poor injured people who just lost their homes, you could have warned James as to who was behind what was going to happen anyway. Would you just take a deep breath and calm down."

"What are you two talking about?" Remus asked. "Also, why are you two talking. I thought you disliked Sirius."

"I did." Lily said, waving away his comments. "Also, I showed up to work this morning, and then Bella sent me away. If she had you and James out looking for me, it's because she didn't want the three of us in the castle today."

"Lily…" Remus sighed, "We have to tell people."

"I'm way ahead of you mate." Sirius said, slinging his arm around Remus. "Though I'm kind of upset that you didn't tell me about this already."

"When was I supposed to tell you, Sirius? When you were pissed drunk and starting fights, passed out on my floor or puking out my window?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Alright, yes, I get your point."

"Why did you tell him anyway?" Remus asked Lily. "Not that you shouldn't have told someone, but _Sirius_ of all people?"

"He was there I suppose." Lily said, looking as though she was lost in thought. "Plus, she's his cousin. I thought he could shed some light on the matter."

"You heard her tell her supposedly dead sister that she wanted to kill the king and you needed to ask her cousin what that meant? A cousin who hasn't seen or heard from her in years?"

Lily looked around quickly to make sure that they were out of earshot from any of the refugees. "I know that this is all black and white to you," She said, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him a little ways off. Sirius followed. "But you have to understand that I have worked for Bella for the last five years. She is the king's ward and the prince's sister. This isn't going to be an easy conversation. I'm not going to just walk up to James and tell him that his sister is trying to kill his father. That's not how this is going to go."

"I understand that it's a delicate situation," Remus said, not appreciating her patronizing tone. "But you have to understand that if you do nothing, everything that Bella does comes back to us. If she hurts someone…"

"I know that." Lily snapped. "And I'm going to talk to James as soon as I can." Then her eyes got wide and she smiled at Remus. "Or you could do it for me."

"I will be there with you if you'd like, but I'm not about to tell him all of that for you. I was only with you because I wasn't about to let you run off after her alone."

"And I appreciate that." Lily said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But, I would appreciate you more if you-"

"No." Remus shook his head. "Let's help these people now, yes?"

Lily sighed dramatically and then spun around on her heel. "Alright. But he's going to-"

"He's in love with you." Sirius laughed. "He'd probably prefer this news coming from you."

"He is not." Lily muttered. "And I wish you would stop bringing that up."

"That's probably not going to happen, love."

oOoOo

James and the knights didn't end up getting back to the castle until after dark. They were exhausted from rebuilding, and completely filthy from cleaning up all the debris. But they had made a lot of progress, and if tomorrow went just as smoothly, then they should be able to finish. The overall damage hadn't been as bad as they had originally thought, only a few houses having been completely demolished.

He had been looking forward to falling into his bed as soon as he reached his room, but he couldn't honestly say that he was disappointed to find Lily standing outside his door. He smiled hugely at her and ran up to hug her.

"Where have you been all day?" He said, restraining himself from picking her up and twirling her around. "You had Bella, Remus and I worried sick." He pulled back, leaving his hands on her shoulder and waited for her to respond. And that's when he noticed the look on her face, brokenhearted with a little bit of fear. "What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?"

"James," She said calmly, reaching up to put her hand on top of his. "I need to talk to you."

"Of course," He thought about showing her into his room but didn't want to give her the wrong impression. Instead he led her down the corridor to an alcove, and motioned for her to sit at the window seat. She did, wringing her hands all the while and then refused to meet his eyes. "Lily, are you alright? You were missing all day."

"I wasn't though." Lily sighed, finally looking up at him. "It's just… I have to tell you something very important."

"What-"

"Just let me talk, alright?"

"Lily?" Lily jumped unwittingly, turning towards the sound of her name, only to find Bellatrix walking towards them. "Oh, Lily!" The girl rushed up to Lily and wrapped her arms around her. "I've been so worried about you. Where have you been? Is your family alright?"

The look Bella was giving Lily, she knew that she was supposed to agree with her, but James spoke up before she got the chance.

"Her families fine." He said, looking between the two of them. "I went and talked to her sister earlier today when I was looking for her. Right before the attack."

"Oh," Bella clicked her tongue and raised a brown. "Then why didn't you come in this morning?"

Lily closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to think of a good lie, "The gatekeeper," She said, hoping that she wasn't pausing too long. She had never been that good of a liar. "He had broken his leg. It shouldn't have taken me as long as it did, but- Well, you've seen him. He's a very large person. It took me almost two hours to get the bones set, and then the attack happened and I was in town helping everyone."

"You're such a sweetheart." Bella crooned, reaching over and patting Lily on the cheek. "I think I'll give you a bonus." She giggled, and then smiled. "And, you can have the day off tomorrow. I'm sure there are some more villagers that need you more than I do."

"Thank you, Lady Bellatrix." Lily said quietly, quite glad that she didn't have to work tomorrow. She didn't think she could, not with what she had heard, and what had happened today. "That's very kind of you."

"Yes well, just try and get word to me next time an emergency comes up like that. I truly was worried about you."

Everyone was quiet for a moment after that; Lily waiting for Bella to leave and Bella waiting for Lily to say something else.

"Well?" She finally prompted. "What were you going to tell James?"

James looked back towards Lily and raised his brow. Lily looked between the two of them and felt her stomach start to clench and her heart started racing. She then said the first thing that came to mind, that was sure to get James to dismiss Bella. She looked down at her hands, not having to force a blush since she was feeling genuinely flustered from having to lie so much in such a short amount of time. "Well… I mean, it's just…" She took a deep breath and peeked up at James through her lashes. "Nevermind. It's not important." She stood up and turned away.

"Wait a second." James reached out and grabbed her wrist. "It seemed rather important."

"It's not." Lily shook her head. "I've already told you that it's entirely ridiculous when you brought it up last…" James looked confused for a moment and then recognition dawned on him.

"Bella, could you excuse us, please?" He said, not taking his eyes off Lily. She felt bad almost, but after everything that happened, this could be her only chance to tell him what she knew. The way things were headed, Bella wasn't going to let Lily in the castle anymore, and she didn't even know that Lily had heard the conversation with Narcissa.

Bella smiled coyly at James and pinched his cheek. "Oh, James. Do you remember when I first thought that she had caught your fanc-"

"You can do this later, yes?" He looked at Bella long enough to give her a pointed look. She only smiled more. For a split second, when James looked away her smile changed from teasing to sad, and for some reason it terrified Lily. It chilled her to the bone and she wanted nothing more than to run the opposite direction, hide in a closet and never see Bella again.

"Of course." She said quietly. "I'll see you in the morning." With that, she turned on her heel and walked off in the direction of her room.

"What's ridiculous?" James said, pulling Lily back down onto the window seat. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Lily cut him off.

"I'm really sorry," She said, giving his hand a quick squeeze. She quite suddenly felt like crying. "I didn't mean to take advantage of your feelings like that, but I had to get her to leave."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "What's going on, Lily?"

"It's Bella." Lily sighed, falling against the window. "She's not who you think she is."

"So you're not about to confess-"

"I already apologized for that. I really need to tell you something though." Lily interrupted again. She really should stop doing that, he was the prince after all. He blinked a few times and then took a deep breath.

"Alright. What is it?"

"It's about Bella-"

"I've gathered that." He interrupted this time, looking down at his feet. "What about her?" Lily would really rather him not be upset with her when she was about to tell him that his sister was psychotic, but these were the cards that she had drawn for herself when she opened her mouth and made him think that she fancied him.

"James, this isn't going to be easy to hear." She reached out for his hand and was surprised when he let her. She laced her fingers through his, trying to think of the best way to say this. She had been thinking about it all afternoon however and she doubted that she was going to be stuck with some genius idea now. So she took a deep breath, squeezed his hand and told him the truth. "Yesterday, when I came in, Bella was already awake. She was sitting at her vanity and as soon as I entered the room, she told me that I needed to help her make sure that she could leave the castle without anyone noticing. I was supposed to stay in her room and make sure that if anyone came by, they would think that she was resting, or in a foul mood or something. But that wasn't sitting right with me, I didn't want her to go off on her own and then get herself injured. That would be my fault, and I would have felt horrible." She looked up at James, he looked rather confused, but he was listening and didn't look nearly as upset as he had a moment ago.

"So I went to Remus, and asked him what I should do. Then I disregarded that and made him come with me to follow Bella to wherever she was going." James smirked a bit at this. "It wasn't just that I didn't want her to get hurt, she had me worried, the way that she had been talking. She had threatened to fire me if I let it slip that she wasn't in the castle." Lily took a deep breath, and looked up at James again. He had his brow furrowed.

"That doesn't sound like her."

"I know." Lily sighted. "That's why I followed her."

"You could have come to me." James ran his thumb along the back of Lily's hand. "It's not your job to chase after her-"

"James," Lily squeezed his hand again and he pressed his lips together. "I followed her to a small wooden hut in the middle of the forest. She was meeting with her sister. Narcissa." One thing at a time, Lily thought as she paused to allow him to digest this information.

"Bella's sisters all died with her parents, Lily." James said quietly. "Perhaps you were mistaken.

"She called her Narcissa and 'sister.' They also talked about their other sister. I don't remember her name though."

"Andromeda?" Lily nodded. "But if her sisters are alive… They should live with us as well. She doesn't need to sneak out to go and visit them." He started to stand up. "I'll go to my father with this at once. Thank you for-"

"That's not all, James." Lily pulled him back down to the bench. He looked at her skeptically.

"What else could there be?" She looked at James and felt her heart ache just a bit and she couldn't do it. She couldn't tell him what she had heard Bella talking about in the woods. Not right now at least. She could get him to understand that she was dangerous some other way.

"I did show up this morning."

"What?"

"I showed up this morning and Bella told me to leave. She told me that I could have the day off and then she told you and Remus that she wanted you to go and find me because she was worried about me." James looked at her blankly. "And then there was an attack on Leefside. You told everyone that you thought it was a distraction and Bella had gotten us all out of the castle-"

"What are you saying, Lily?" He pulled his hand away from her and she flinched slightly.

"Bella is up to something." That wasn't harsh enough though, that phrasing didn't hold any urgency. "And I think she means to hurt someone." Lily shook her head. That still wasn't good enough, but one look at James made her quite certain that that was all she was going to get to say on the matter. He stood up and ran his hands through his hair.

"What makes you think you have the right to talk about my _sister_ like that?" His voice was gravelly. "You are a maid in the castle! You have-"

"James-"

" _Prince_ James." He corrected. Lily raised her brow, but assented.

"Prince James," He nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "I have been working for Bella for years, and I have thought the world of her for just as long. You know that I would not say anything like this if I didn't have good reason."

"Then what is your reason? She forgot that she gave you the day off? She found her sisters? Those don't sound like reasons to accuse someone of being behind what happened in Leefside today."

"There's more." Lily said, digging her fingernails into her palm. "It's just… She's your _sister_! I don't want to hurt you any more than I have to. It's- Well-"

"What?"

"It's what she was saying to her sister." Lily stood up from the bench and put a hand on her forehead. She really didn't want to tell him. She had merely suggested that Bella was a part of what happened today, and he had gone mad. How could she tell him that Bella tried to kill their father?

"What is it, Lily? My patience with you is waning very thin."

There must have been something in the look that she gave him that made James weary before she even opened her mouth. He took a seat on the bench again and started tapping his fingers on his knee anxiously. He stayed like that while she recounted what she had heard in the woods. Quiet, tapping his fingers and staring at the stone floor.

"I'm… so sorry." Lily said meekly after she had finished. He didn't respond, just kept staring at the floor, and Lily took a seat next to him.

* * *

 **AN: Reviews are fantastic 3**


	10. The Unwelcomed, Overwhelming Truth

" _ **The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution."**_

 _~ J.K. Rowling_

 **Or**

" _ **The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."**_

 _~ Joe Klaas_

 **Chapter Ten: The Unwelcomed, Overwhelming Truth**

Sirius had spent the night on Remus's floor again, so Remus assumed that Sirius would be the reason that he woke up extremely early the next morning. This was not the case however.

Before the sun had even rose, Remus was yanked out of bed and thrown to the floor. The cool flagstone was pressed up against his cheek and, having tried to catch himself, his hands were stinging. "What the-" Someone grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him around.

"What went on between Bella and her sister the other day?" James' face was extremely close to his and his eyes were red. If Remus had been a bit more awake, he might have correctly assumed that James had not gone to bed last night.

"I take it Lily told him." Sirius sat up from the other side of the room, causing James to jump slightly, not having expected anyone else to be there. Sirius reached his hands up over his head and stretched lazily. "Don't know why you're surprised, mate."

"Shut up, Sirius." Remus groaned. He pushed James away from him as gently as he could. "Lily wasn't lying to you." He said once he had pushed himself off the ground. "Bella wants the king dead. We both heard her say that. Her sister was trying to talk her out of it, but she seemed… unstable."

James took a deep, ragged breath and pushed his hair back, "She wouldn't do something like that." He muttered. Sirius stood up and walked over to where James and Remus were seated and joined them on the floor.

"Back home, everyone kno- _thought_ that your dad was responsible for Cygnus' death."

"I know but… he was a horrible man. He had magic…"

Before Remus could even begin to worry about what would happen to him if James were to find out that he himself had magic, Sirius let out a sharp breath. "Having magic doesn't make you a bad person." Remus tried not to look grateful, but he made a mental note to thank Sirius later.

"What he did with it made him a bad person." James countered, not giving evidence to whether or not he agreed with Sirius. "He tortured people. My father had to put an end to it. He saved Bella's life. Why would she want to hurt him?"

"I would never speak against your father," Remus said softly putting a hand on James' shoulder. "But if that's what happened, why would your father lie about Bella's sisters being dead?"

"He must not have known. I was there when this all happened. There was a large fire. My father ran out of the Black Manor with Bella in his arms. She was the only one that he could carry. The other girls were too old, too big. Bella was only twelve or thirteen. He saved her. I saw him." James turned to Sirius. "You had to have been there too, yes? Tell him that that's what happened!" He looked slightly hysterical, his glasses skewed and his hair more out of place than usual. "Tell him what happened!"

"James, mate," Sirius sighed, rubbing his palms against his eyelids. "Cygnus was bad news, and your father did everyone a favor by killing him, I won't dispute that." James tried to interrupt, but Sirius spoke over him. "However, the way that I heard it, your dad wasn't the hero of the story."

"What do you mean?" James asked, shaking his head. Remus was getting worried about him. Everything that he was being asked to take in in such a short amount of time, it couldn't be easy for anyone.

"Your dad came there to kill Cygnus." Sirius said. "He was trying to eradicate magic from the land, and Cygnus was never quiet about the fact that he had magic. He told just about anyone who would listen. Your dad challenged him. Everyone knew by that point that Cissy and Dromy had magic too, but Druella, their mum, she kept Bella's magic a secret from everyone. I don't even think Bella knew she had magic for the longest time."

"Bella has magic?" James voice was hoarse.

"Yes. But your dad didn't know. I'd say that we can safely assumed that he still doesn't know." Sirius shrugged. "I don't think that it was a coincidence that she was the only one that he saved from the fire."

"I think that's enough for now." Remus said, pushing himself off the ground and helping James to his feet. "I say we get you some food and then send you off to bed."

"I need to know-"

"Anything that you need to know can wait until later." Remus wasn't about to let this go. James couldn't even stand by himself right now. Yesterday's events would have been traumatic enough if he hadn't found out all these secrets about his family.

Rather than carrying James all the way back to his own room, Remus sat him down on his own bed, took Sirius by the arm and pulled him out the door.

"You're not just going to leave him in there, are you?" Sirius sat down at the table and picked up an apple from the bowl of fruit. "There's an open window."

"He'll be fine." Remus turned away from Sirius and started looking through a large stack of books that was balancing precariously on the back counter. Remus heard the floorboards creaking from overhead and instantly felt bad for having woken Dumbledore. Though, he would know better than Remus what to do about James.

"What are you boys doing up so early?" Dumbledore asked as he slowly made his way down the stairs. "It's not even dawn."

"It's James." Remus answered, putting down the book he had been leafing through. "We told him- Actually, I don't think I'd gotten around to telling you everything yet." After a brief explanation of everything, on both Sirius and Remus' part, Dumbledore was caught up to speed. "Now James is in my room and I was hoping that you could give him something to calm him down, maybe help him to sleep?"

"Yeah, do you have a potion or something?" Sirius asked.

"I was thinking a tea." Remus glared at Sirius.

"I think I have something that might help."

"Why can't we just let him work through this on his own? Why does he need help?"

"There are some in this world that know very little heartache, Sirius. And when it inevitably finds them, they need our help working through it." Dumbledore said as he turned to a large oak cabinet hung on the wall over the stove and rifled through its contents. He pulled out a small teacup, a strand of some type of red flower and jar full of something brown. "We shouldn't leave James to fend for himself simply because we envy him."

"I don't envy that prat." Sirius scoffed. "He's a pounce with a bad attitude."

"The same could be said about you." Remus sighed, falling onto a chair. He rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn. He had stayed up rather late last night in case Lily had showed up after her talk with James. He hadn't expected James to show up; storm the training ground, head out to the tavern, yes. But he figured that James would have wanted to be alone. "Where do you think Lily is?"

"Home. Asleep." Sirius muttered, taking another large bite of his apple. "Where she should be."

"I'm sure she's fine, Remus." Dumbledore looked over at him kindly, measuring a spoonful of the brown stuff.

"Didn't you break her heart the other day? You should give her some space."

"Sirius," Remus snapped, slamming his fist on the table. "Can you stop being an arse for just a few minutes? It's already been a long day and the suns only just coming up."

"Did I hit a sore subject? Maybe you were lying to yourself then? Maybe you do have feelings for our little redheaded maiden. Maybe the only reason you said no had to do with-"

"Sirius." Dumbledore said gravely. He looked at Sirius over the tops of his glasses. Sirius started to grind his teeth together but Dumbledore didn't need to say anything more. He mixed in a few more herbs and then held up his completed concoction. "All finished."

Remus walked up and accepted the cup from him. "Hopefully this will do him some good." He sighed as he walked over to his door. "I'd like to get some more sleep if I could." When he pushed open the door, he didn't see James laying on his bed as he should have. He looked behind the door and on the other side of the bed on the floor, but he didn't find him. "Bloody hell." He stomped his foot on the ground and spun around. "He climbed out the window." He announced to the room. "James climbed out the bloody window."

oOoOo

Peter Pettigrew didn't have much family and he didn't have many friends. He considered Remus to be a friend and he talked to a boy named Benjy every now and then, but that was about it. If he was anyone else, he might consider Lily to be a friend, she came down to the stables often enough, but she was beautiful so he considered himself lucky instead.

When the fires had been lit in Leefside, Peter had the harrowing task of getting all of the knights horses out to them, which he was alright with because he was a good stable boy. Luckily for him, many of them didn't need a saddle or they were able to put it on themselves, all he had to do was make sure that the Prince's horse was put together. He did Remus's as well, because he knew how uncomfortable Remus was when it came to horses.

Peter considered himself to be a good friend, that is why he helped Remus out as much as he could. He always gave him the most easygoing horse, and the most comfortable, reliable saddle.

This morning however, Peter was not feeling as though he was a good anything. He had done something wrong.

When all the knights were in Leefside, putting out the fires, a man rode into the stables and asked Peter a series of questions. At first, Peter had just assumed that this man was new to town and he needed a place to keep his horse while he went out and did whatever he came here to do; Peter was only half-right in this assumption. He quickly realized that all of the man's questions had to do with the castle and the Knights. He wanted to know when they were going to be back, what floors of the castle were accessible to the public. When Peter showed signs of discomfort, the man had chuckled and pulled out a small bag.

Peter sat at home, sitting across from his sister as their mother served them breakfast.

"Lucy, dear," Their mother said solemnly. "Try and eat something."

Lucy smiled weakly at the older woman and picked up her toast, bringing it to her lips and taking the smallest bite she could. Peter closed his eyes and went through the number of coins that had been in that bag that the stranger had handed him. Five gold, seven silver, ten bronze and six coppers.

"What time do you have to be at work, Peter?"

Peter shook his head and looked over at his mother. "Not for a little while still."

"Could you walk your sister over to Madam Pomfrey's? I have to get going early this morning and-"

"It's not a problem, mum." Peter reached over and took hold of his sister's hand. "I like walking with Lucy."

Out on the street a little while later, Lucy was taking her second break in the last ten minutes. Sitting on an old barrel the quiet, mousy girl sat and watched as a group of children started a game of tag in front of their parent's shops. She smiled and Peter thought again of the coins in his pocket.

He didn't know who that man was, or what he was planning on doing with the information that Peter had given him, but it had to be worth it. If he could get more time with his sister, if he could make things easier for her, it had to be worth it. She had never gotten to play street games with the neighborhood children, or race her brother to the kitchen for sweets, or go to school, or climb trees, swim in the river, dance at festivals, have a drink at the tavern…

"Peter?" He looked over at his sister. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, Lucy." He pinched her cheek and then helped her to her feet. "Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey, alright?"

"Alright." She sighed. "I do hope things are better today."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, after the fire yesterday…" She trailed off, already out of breath. Peter put an arm around her and tried to help her as much as he could.

"Right. There must have been a lot of people in the hospital yesterday." She nodded. "Nobody was too badly injured, were they?"

"One man broke both his legs…" She took a few deep breaths and slowed down a bit. "But no one died."

"That's good." Peter nodded. He could see the hospital now, but it was still going to take a while to get there. Lucy pulled away from him and sat down on someone's chair this time. The woman who owned the chair walked out of the shop that it had been in front of and was about to shout at them when she saw who it was.

"Lucy!" The woman bent over and hugged her. Everyone loved Lucy.

Soon Peter had her on her feet again. When they reached Madam Pomfrey's, the nurse was already waiting for them at the door. "Good to see the two of you." She greeted, pulling Peter in for a quick hug before putting an arm around Lucy's middle and helping her inside. Peter said his goodbyes from outside the door, for he never liked going inside.

With the money, he could get his sister some real help, find someone who could work out what was wrong with her and then fix it. It didn't matter what that man had wanted that information for, it was worth it because Lucy needed help. And if he didn't help her, who else would?

oOoOo

Lily had spent the better part of the morning pacing the length of her kitchen before she had forced herself to leave. She was just going to walk around town aimlessly, hoping that someone would stop her and distract her, but she found her feet moving her in the direction of the castle. She told herself that it was a force of habit, because whenever she left her house, it was to go to work, but she knew that that was a lie.

Last night, she had bloody well taken James's heart out of his chest and then torn it to shreds before handing it back to him in all its mangled glory. She felt responsible for whatever backlash may occur, and she knew that she was headed up to the castle to find him, to see how he was doing.

She had sat with him for quite a long time last night, neither of them saying a thing, until he stood up and walked away. She hadn't tried to follow him, call after him, or offer any words of comfort, and that seemed callused now that she was looking back on it.

"Lily?"

Lily looked over and saw a group of girls walking towards her, two of which looked slightly familiar. "Do I know you?" She asked, trying to force a smile.

"You met us at Hagrid's the other day." The blonde girl said with a toothy grin. "Dory here had been chased up a tree."

"That's right." Lily nodded. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to remind me of your names."

"Not a problem. I'm Marlene, and that's Dory," She pointed to the girl with long brown hair. "And you haven't met Mary yet."

"Pleasure." The girl stuck out her hand and her short brown curls bounced as she nodded.

"Well," Lily had remembered the entire exchange between herself and the other girls now and was starting to get nervous. She didn't want them to start badmouthing the king again when they were so close to the castle, nor did she want James to appear and see her around girls who were badmouthing his father. "I was just heading in, but it was nice to see you again."

"Wait!" Dory grabbed hold of her arm to prevent her from walking off. "We were just wondering why there isn't any training today. The knights are all waiting around, and James hasn't showed up yet."

"I don't know anything about that." Lily lied. "Though, shouldn't they be in Leefside?"

"Oh yeah. Well, Remus said that you worked in the castle, so we figured we would ask."

"I work for Lady Bellatrix, not the prince." She pursed her lips. The three women before her all exchanged looks with one another before Mary crossed her arms over her chest.

"May I ask what we did to offend you?"

Lily wanted to laugh and stomp her foot at the same time. She would love to lecture them on what was and what was not okay to say after an attempted assassination of the king, but she really needed to find James now, especially now that she knew he hadn't taken the knights to Leefside. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said instead. "I'm just running late today."

"Oh," Marlene stepped aside and waved her on. "Didn't mean to hold you up."

"It's not a problem." She said, not wasting any time and marching on towards the castle. As soon as the three girls were out of her sight, they were also out of her mind. She had to focus on James right now.

When she reached the prince's room, she found it empty. There were no dishes to indicate that he had eat breakfast, no laundry to show that he had dressed for the day, and his bed was immaculate. There were two options here, since it was so early, Remus either cleaned James' room faster than he normally did or, James had never come back to his room last night.

She started on her way to Dumbledore's quarters, hoping to either find Remus, or ask Dumbledore where he had gone. She was so focused on what she was doing, that she didn't notice Bellatrix appear at the end of the corridor.

"I thought I gave you the day off." She spoke sharply, snapping Lily out of her thoughts. She looked up quickly and took an involuntary step backwards. "What are you doing here?" She must have realized how harsh she was sounding, because she then smiled and clasped her hands together, trying to make herself appear unassuming.

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't need me." Lily replied, clasping her own hands behind her back, trying not to look as frightened as she felt. Bella inspected her for a moment and then she grinned, a more honest looking smile.

"No you didn't." She said, sounding as though she were teasing Lily now. "You're here to see James, aren't you?"

"Why would you say that?" Lily said about a half second before she remembered how she had managed to get Bella to leave her and James alone the night before.

"Oh, don't play stupid with me, Lily. You and I have been friends for a very long time. You can't hide these things from friends. You fancy my brother." Lily gapped at her, but she didn't know how to judge this Bella, the Bella who seemed like the old Bella. The one who hadn't tried to murder the king and who wasn't involved in the burning of a town. Lily had always liked this Bella, but she was now aware that this Bella was just an act. "I always knew this was going to happen though. I called it from the very beginning- If you count the beginning as when I noticed that James fancied you anyway." She laughed.

"I wasn't here to see the Prince, my lady. Honestly, I was checking in with you. You gave me the day off so late yesterday that I wasn't sure if it was my tired mind that had dreamt it up, or if it had actually happened. It seems as though it was real though, so I'm sorry if I was a bother. I'll just be on my way." Lily curtsied.

"You were checking on me?" Bella's voice went tight again.

"I said 'checking in', ma'am." Lily swallowed, feeling the immense change in atmosphere. "Making sure that I wasn't needed."

"Do you not believe that I am capable of making decisions on my own, Lily?"

"I never said anything of the sort-"

"Because I assure you that I don't need to have my actions questioned. Especially not by someone like _you_. You are a-"

"Lily!" Both women turned around to see James walking down the corridor, looking as though last night had never happened. That is, until he turned to Bella. Lily noticed that his back straightened and his lips pressed together just slightly. "Sister." He nodded at Bella.

"Good morning, James." Bella smiled sweetly, all traces of her anger completely gone. "Look who came to find you." She waved his attention over to Lily. "I bet the two of you had quite the interesting conversation last night."

"Quite interesting." James agreed, taking a small step towards Lily and away from Bella. "Wouldn't you agree?" He turned his head towards Lily and then moved to put his arm around her shoulders.

"Yes." She squeaked, not knowing where he was going with this, but she was sure that no matter what happened, he wouldn't let Bella harm her. Although, Bella did have magic. And as far as she knew, James did not. If an altercation were to break out, and Bella resorted to using her magic, then neither James nor Lily would have any chance at all.

"Lily had all kinds of interesting things to say."

"I knew it would all work out for you, James." Bella reached out and squeezed James' hand. The bottom of his jaw moved from side to side, but he didn't pull his hand away. "I told you that you had nothing to worry about. You're very handsome and clever, and I just knew that you would win her over in the end."

Another jut of his jaw and Lily could tell that he was not in any frame of mind to speak to Bella right now. He believed her, whatever he had done after he had left her last night had helped him to see the truth. "We'd appreciate if you could keep this a secret." Lily said, looking away from James and forcing herself to look Bella in the eye. "I don't think this is something that the king would approve of."

"The king disapproves of much." Bella nodded in agreement. "I won't say a word to anyone."

"I don't want Lily working for you anymore either." James said firmly. Lily felt him pull her closer to his side, which made it difficult to look up at him in shock, but she still managed.

Bella on the other hand, didn't think this was strange at all. "Of course." She laughed. "It would be preposterous to have her waiting on me now." She put her hand over her heart and reached out to pat Lily's cheek. "We've had fun, no?"

"There's no reason that you shouldn't continue to have fun." James' voice was getting more and more strained. Lily had to get them out of there.

"It will just be a different kind of fun now." Lily reached out and took hold of James' hand. "But if you need any help till you can find a new maid, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand."

"I'm sure that won't be nece-"

"I think Lady Bellatrix can speak for herself." Lily said with a smile, trying to overcompensate for James' quickly deteriorating mood.

"James is right though. I'll make do."

Shortly after that, Bella excused herself and James started dragging Lily down the corridor to a set of doors that she had never passed through before. He pulled on of the cast iron handles and motioned for her to enter.

It was a library. The room had to be larger than the Great Hall, and it was full of rows and rows of bookshelves. There was a great stone fireplace in the very middle of the room, resembling a well, and there were about a dozen tables strewn about the room with stacks of books piled atop them. There were more books in this one room than Lily had ever seen in her entire life. The amount of knowledge that this room held, was greater than anything she could hope to accumulate in her lifetime. She ran her fingers over the spin of a book and took a deep breath before James spun her around and snapped her back to reality.

"Are you angry with me?" He asked.

"For firing me?" Lily shook her head. "I'm not mad."

"Well that makes one of us." He ran a hand through his hair and started pacing.

"You're angry with me?"

"Not at you- I'm just angry in general. She's been a sister to me for the last five years and now she's trying to kill our- _my_ father? What would possess her to do something like that? And my dad! Why is he lying about her family being dead if they're not? What even happened to her family that caused her to hate him so much? Who am I supposed to be angry with here, Lily? They're both lying to me, and apparently they're both capable of murder.

"And how does Remus know all this before me? He got here a few months ago and already he knows more about my family than I do."

"You're not angry with Remus." Lily took a seat at one of the many tables and started tapping her fingers on the table. "You're simply frustrated."

"There is nothing simple about what's going on." He took a seat across from her.

"Of course not." Lily said quickly. "I never meant to imply that. I just meant that you should be careful not to take your anger out on the wrong people."

"I don't need your advice."

"I would be one of the wrong people to take your anger out on." Lily turned the corner of her lip up. James closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I know." He pushed his glasses up to his forehead and rubbed his eyelids with his palms. "But I don't even know where to begin with this situation." Lily didn't have an answer for him so she turned towards the pile of books and picked the one off the top. She ran her fingers across the golden title and then opened the book and flipped through some of its pages. The pages were slightly yellowed and the edges of most of the pages were worn and tattered.

"Are you a fan of Mullen?" James asked, resting his chin on one of his hands and pointing at the book with his other.

"I'm sorry?" Lily asked, setting the book down.

"Kenneth Mullen, the author of the book you're holding."

"Oh," Lily tapped her fingers on the book and then pushed it across the table. "Books have always fascinated me. How someone could sit down and write out all those words, stringing them together in a way that can move people to tears. So many people can do that." She motioned around the room. "It's extraordinary."

Something that looked close to a smile appeared on James' face. "Who is your favorite?"

Lily bit her lip and strained to remember. "My mother used to read me _The Lion in my Dream._ It was a children's story and I have no idea who wrote it, but that was always my favorite story. She would have me sit in her lap and she would put on different voices for all the characters." She laughed. "Her voice for the dad was the voice she used to use to imitate my father. All gruff and low, but she would have to change her whole face to get her voice to sound like that." She fell quiet after that, and for a while the only thing that either of them could hear was the crackling of the fire.

"Truman Goad." James said after a while. When he was only met with a confused look from Lily he added, "Truman Goad wrote _The Lion in my Dream._ It was one of my favorites growing up as well. I fancied myself as brave as characters in that book. At one point I had drawn an entire collection of pictures to go along with the story."

"Do you still have them?"

"Unfortunately I don't. I gave them to the nursemaid who used to take care of me as a child. Did you ever read _Bears in my House_ or _Birds on the Moon_?" He was actually smiling now.

"Can't say that I have." Lily shrugged. "We only had a few books. Most of the stories that my mum would tell me were made up."

"Well, _Bears in my House_ is a good one and you should give it a read." James laughed a bit. "My cousin and I used to reenact it when he would visit. I think I've got a copy of it in my room. I'll let you borrow it some time."

"Oh, you don't have to do that."

"I think you'll enjoy it." James insisted. "And it's not as though loaning you the book would be a difficult thing to do."

"I know that. It's just…"

"What?"

"This is rather embarrassing." Lily scratched at her head and started to shew on the inside of her cheek.

"I told you I was in love with you a few weeks ago." James said dryly. "I don't think you're going to top that." Lily tried not to smile, but she didn't quite manage.

"Alright, well… I never learned how to read."

Instead of looking at her like she was stupid, as she had feared, he looked confused. "Why not?"

"My mum… died- when I was too young to have learned, and then my dad never had time and my sister never had the patients."

"You never went to school?"

"We didn't have the money for that." Lily laughed. "My father is a blacksmith, in case you forgot. After my mum- after she died - I would help Hagrid- the keeper of the keys and grounds- I would help him out around his farm. He'd give me a few silvers and coppers when he could spare them and I got to play with a dog that was probably three times my size. I wish I could have gone to school, but I had a good childhood."

James was quiet for a while. "I can teach you how to read."

"There's no reason for that." Lily shook her head, though she was unable to stop herself from looking around the room again. "I'm a maid-"

"No you're not." James interrupted, a smile spreading across his face. "I fired you. You're not a maid anymore. You're actually unemployed. And now, you're my student."

Lily tried to ignore the unemployed comment for now, and focus on James. He was supposed to be having a mental break down right now, and he possibly was, but he seemed to be focusing on her. "You can't teach me to read. Not now. You've got knights to train and a sister to watch out for-"

"I don't know what I'm going to do about Bella and my father right now, and I've got knights to watch them until I work it out. And training is in the morning, evenings I've got absolutely nothing to do." He stood up from his chair and ran a hand through his hair, looking excited. "We could meet here after training."

Even if Lily didn't have a desire to learn how to read, she didn't think she would have been able to say no to James just then. He looked so genuine in his excitement that Lily's stomach jumped a little.

He held out his hand, "Do we have a deal?" Lily couldn't help but laugh.

"We have a deal." She nodded, taking his hand.

oOoOo

James had gone back to his room after his meeting with Lily in the library. He paced back and forth for almost an entire hour, trying to focus on Lily, but his mind kept forcing Bella back in. He didn't want to believe that she had tried to kill their father, but Lily, Remus and Sirius had no reason to lie to him, and Sirius's story about what had happened to Bella's family was very similar to other versions that he had heard. The additions, his father setting the fire to kill the wizard and his magic children, that sounded like something that he would do. And if his father really had killed Bella's family, then he couldn't really blame her for wanting him dead.

It was all very confusing, and that's why he was trying to focus on Lily. Normally, this would not have been a difficult thing to do given his feelings towards her.

After an hour, he gave up and decided to go down to the training grounds and see if his knights had started training without him. Luckily, they had. It appeared as though Amos had stepped up as leader and was having everyone run laps around the Black Lake, which was only about a hundred meters from the castle.

When James arrived, he noticed that Amos wasn't the only one not running. Arden was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed and an angry look on his face. Remus was also there, sitting with Sirius on some boulders near the shore of the lake. A couple women were sitting with them.

"When did this become a spectator's sport?" James asked, walking towards Remus. The way he saw things, he probably owed Remus an apology for everything that happened this morning.

"I knew you'd make it down here eventually." Remus shrugged, jumping up from the boulder and meeting James in the middle. "You alright?"

"I'm fine. And I'm sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck. "For manhandling you, and shouting at you, and for climbing out your window."

Remus laughed. "It's fine. And you're sure that you're okay?"

"No. But I just want to train right now." Remus nodded.

"Then have at it. Arden will be glad that you're back."

"Yeah, how did Amos get put in charge?"

"I think that was by his own vote." Remus shrugged. "Nobody seemed to care much except for Arden. Lance didn't seem too thrilled, but he went along with it. Leefsides been taken care of as well, there wasn't much more for us to do, though we might want to send some food over to them tomorrow." James nodded and kicked himself for forgetting about the fire.

He turned to address his knights, who had stopped running laps and gathered around him and Remus while they had been talking. "I'm sorry I was late this morning, I had some family business to attend to. I'm here now though, so why don't we split off into pairs and work on our sword play." As everyone split off, he stepped away so that no one would try to partner with him and then looked around. He never realized how many people he had under his control before. There were two dozen knights out here this morning, but they were only James' personal knights, the ones that he hand-picked. These men would do anything James asked of them because they trusted him, and he trusted them. And he was glad that he had them, because over the next few weeks, he had a feeling that he would be asking them some pretty sensitive favors.

He couldn't ask just anyone though, because while he trusted all of them to protect him with their lives, he didn't know if he could count on all of them to hold his word over that of his father's. Treason was a very dangerous thing to ask of someone, even if it was coming from him.

He knew that he could count on Arden and Frank, who were off sparing one another to his left, looking more playful than anything else. He rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. They were both very close friends and, Arden at least was extremely suspicious of everything. James knew that he could tell either of them anything and it would stay between them.

Amos he wasn't sure about. He was a great knight, but he was also extremely loyal to the crown. Same went for many of the other elite, noblemen's sons. Amos was different only in the fact that he was friends with people like Arden and Frank who were nobles, just of a lesser status than him. Amos also considered himself James' friend, and maybe that made him trustworthy. James scoffed and started chewing on the inside of his cheek. He was going to need more than three men.

Fabian and Gideon seemed like good options. He continued to scan the field. His eyes fell upon Sirius, who was still sitting by the women down by the shore.

James jutted his jaw out and tried to decide how he felt about Remus's friend. He was brazen, brave, a bit stupid and he acted entirely on impulse. He seemed like a good man though, if a bit lost. "Remus?" Remus, who was still standing beside James, turned and gave him an inquisitive look. "Do you trust Sirius?"

"I do. I can give you my word that nothing spoken of this morning will leave that room." James nodded, not having thought to ask Remus to make sure that Sirius wouldn't tell anyone about Bella. Though it was good that Remus felt so sure, he hadn't even hesitated. Sirius was good with a sword, he had been able to best Fabian and Gideon at the same time, and James wasn't entirely sure that even he could do that. Actually, he was quite certain that he couldn't.

"Good, but that's not why I asked."

"Oh?"

"You're sure that you trust him?"

"Completely." Remus pressed his lips together and crossed his arms. "What's going on James?"

"Black!" Sirius's head jerked in their direction and James waved him over. He saw Sirius sigh and then tussle one of the girl's hair before standing up and walking at an extremely leisurely pace towards them. James gave Remus a look and Remus just shrugged.

"He doesn't really care much for people telling him what to do."

"Well he's going to have to get over that." Remus didn't have time to ask any questions because James decided to go and meet Sirius halfway.

"Your highness." Sirius swept into an exaggerated bow and James found it hard to contain an eye roll. This was going to be a bit painful for both of them, but James still thought that it was a good idea. Sirius knew Bella after all, it would be useful in more ways than one to have Sirius on his side.

"I want you to go up to the armory and-"

"Hold on a moment, mate." Sirius held up his hands and stuck James with an arrogant smirk. "Remus is your manservant, not me." James took a deep breath and nodded.

"I want you to go up to the armory and find a sword that suits you. We have extra armor along the back wall, find something that fits you and then get back out here." Sirius cocked his head to the side, looking as though he were at a loss for words, which James figured was a first for him. "Today, if that works for you." He added, feeling a smirk of his own forming.

"What exactly are you saying, Potter?"

"I'm saying that I want you to train with the rest of my knights."

"That's what it sounded like." Sirius shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his smirk reappearing as quickly as it left. "And while I'd love nothing more than to show up each and every one of your knights, I feel as though I ought to remind you that I myself am not one of them."

"You are now."

* * *

 **AN: I'm a couple days late with this one for those of you who have noticed that a new update comes roughly every fifteen days. I apologize for that. Reviews are always awesome-sauce, same as ya'll.**


	11. (Un)likely New Friends

_**Persons appear to us according to the light we throw upon them from our own minds.**_ _— Laura Ingalls Wilder_

 **Chapter Eleven: (Un)likely New Friends**

 _(For Elizabeth) Alternatively: The Sass is Strong with This One_

Remus hadn't spoken to Lance since he had used magic to save his life in Leefside, and that had taken place almost a week ago. And while he trusted Lance to keep it to himself, he felt as though he needed to talk to him about it anyway, to make sure that he was comfortable with it and not about to go to James. James was going through enough without finding out that Remus had magic. Remus wasn't sure what his reaction would be, but he thought there was a good chance that it would push him over the edge.

There was also the fact that Remus quite liked his head attached to the rest of his body, and if the king were to learn of Remus's secret it would not stay attached to his body for very long. But the James issue was an important one as well.

He had tried to get Lance alone, staying late in the armory, as Lance always did, and he had even visited Hagrid, hoping to run into him. Lance was leaving earlier though and never around Hagrid's when Remus went. He was starting to feel as though Lance was avoiding him, and that made him nervous. You didn't avoid people that you were comfortable around. Or people whose secrets you were planning to keep.

Aside from worrying about the status of his bodily attachments, he also had Sirius to worry about. James had knighted him and not only was the king furious about this, but so was Sirius. Or at least he was pretending to be.

"Who does he think he is?" Sirius had said when he and Remus walked back to their room after training that first day. "He can't just make me be a knight. Don't I get a say in this at all?"

"You get to hit things with a sword for money, Sirius." Remus had said in a tired voice. "What part of that doesn't sound appealing to you?"

"That's not the point." He insisted. "I deserve to have a say in the matter."

Remus understood this, but only marginally so because the truth was, Sirius loved his new status. He and Arden had really hit it off, and the both of them spent almost every evening together in the tavern. He had bested all the knights that had challenged him, and laughed more than Remus thought was possible for him. Most of his animosity died off after a couple weeks, but even still, he was hell bent on staying angry with James.

This morning was much too dark, and that was all thanks to an extremely large snow cloud that had covered the entire sky for as far as anyone could see. James had canceled training because the snow had been coming down so thick that no one could see the ends of their swords by the time they had reached the field.

It was also cold. Very cold. James, Remus and Sirius were all huddled around the fireplace in the kitchen, holding their hands out to the flames and waiting for the cook to bring them baked potatoes to put in their pockets.

"It's fucking cold." Sirius said, his teeth chattering.

"I don't believe you." Remus said with an eye roll. "I think the real reason that we're all huddled around a fire in the middle of the morning is because we enjoy being so close to one another. Especially when only one of us baths regularly."

"No one asked for your wit." James said, rubbing his hands together and taking another step towards the fire. One more and his sleeves would be in danger of catching.

"You'd think I would be one of the ones that doesn't bath regularly, but no. It's the two of you. One of you will be king some day and you don't find it-"

"Keep it up, and I'm going to push you in the fire."

"We do smell bad." Sirius shrugged. "Besides, it's not Remus's fault. He gets cranky when he's cold."

"Shut up, Sirius."

"See?" James shook his head and tried not to smile. Remus had been noticing quite a bit of that lately. James and Sirius seemed as though they ought to get along fairly well to Remus, but they didn't seem to _want_ to get along. Whenever they were doing something, or talking around one another and they did or said something that the other found amusing, they would just ignore it. Remus could understand why Sirius was behaving this way, Remus had done the same thing when he had started working for James, but if James would stop acting like such a prat around Sirius, he was sure the two of them would be friends in no time.

"Sire," One of the king's servants entered the kitchen and rushed up to James. "The king wishes to speak with you." Sirius sighed and picked his gloves up off the counter. James and Sirius may not be too keen each other, but they had taken to spending almost every hour of the day together. James had named Sirius his personal guard, and whether this was to upset Sirius or the king, Remus wasn't sure.

"Did he say what this was about?"

"No, sire. He only asked me to make sure that you came as quickly as possible."

"So it's urgent?" James asked.

"It sounded urgent, sire." The servant squirmed uncomfortably under James' gaze and Remus nudged him in the side.

"Alright, we're on our way."

Somehow the throne room was a comfortable temperature and Remus was, for once, glad to be summoned by the king. Until he opened his mouth at any rate.

"I wanted a word with my son, not a peasant and a drunk."

"Excuse me, your majesty," Sirius bowed his head. "But were you calling me a peasant _and_ a drunk, or were you calling Remus a peasant and myself a drunk? Due to your lack of inflection, I couldn't tell." Remus's eyes went wide, but James laughed. Outright, and unabashed, he laughed. Sirius looked a bit surprised by that, but not more surprised than the king.

"Do you find that funny?" King Charles asked, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. James didn't try and hide his smile, he simply nodded. "Do you know what our enemies will find funny? The fact that my only son, heir to the throne, is spending all of his time with a couple of marauders. That you have taken it upon yourself to completely dismiss the laws that have governed this kingdom for centuries so that you can have some local legend and a commoner play at being knights. Do you even know the crimes that this disgraceful man has committed that ended with his banishment from Lorkeep?"

"Not in detail." James shrugged. "But you know something, I think that if I asked him, he would tell me. I don't think he would spin the truth so that it shows him in a positive light, or just blatantly lie about what actually happened. I think he would be honest with me."

"I don't like what you're implying, son."

"What did you want to talk to me about, father?" James asked, taking a deep breath and deflating slightly. The king looked between the three of them before taking a deep breath of his own and brushing imaginary dust from his robes.

"I need you to take a group of knights out to Godric's Hollow and take care of a situation that's come to my attention."

"What kind of situation?"

"There has been a blatant disregard for the law in town; magic used freely and openly being one of the worst offences. I would go out and take care of this myself, but I'm still not feeling up to travel, and I trust you to make the right decisions." He said that later half of the sentence a bit more tersely than the rest, but he didn't seem entirely insincere.

"What do you mean they're using magic freely? Why would they do that? They know how dangerous it is, don't they?"

"Apparently not." The king sighed, stood up and walked over to James, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I want you to be extra careful while you're there. It's been rumored that the woman who tried to assassinate you a few months is staying near the town. She already took the form of one friendly face, I don't want you to get fooled again."

"We were all foo- Alright, fine. I'll be careful. And besides, Remus will be coming along. He'll be there to push me out of the way of any more flying daggers that we happen across." The king looked over at Remus and huffed.

"Well, yes. Just be on the lookout. If anyone seems too interested-"

"I know dad. I'll be careful."

"I just don't-" He coughed and gave Remus the side eye. Remus sighed, took hold of Sirius's arm, and pulled him back a few steps to give the two royals a bit more privacy. Of course, both of them could still hear everything the king said, but he seemed to feel better about showing a bit of compassion with fewer people being close to him. "You're my only son, and I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you. I know that we don't always see eye to eye, and that we've been arguing quite a bit lately, but at the end of it all, I'm your father and I love you."

"I know, dad. I love you too."

They were headed down to the armory shortly after that. Remus wasn't sure what was going to happen when they got to Godric's Hollow, but he found himself very uneasy about the whole thing. He didn't want to see James use violence and force against people like him, because he didn't want their friendship to be ruined, but he knew that if James did try to execute any of the wizards in Godric's Hollow and they hadn't done anything that should warrant such a finite punishment, Remus would stop him by whatever means necessary. He would not allow James to spill innocent blood, even if that meant outing himself as a wizard.

"They blame me for my brother's death." Sirius said unexpectedly as they were walking down the stairs. Remus's mind jerked as he switched gears. "My parents, my aunts and uncles; they banished me because they thought that I was responsible for his death. And they should, if I had made different choices, he would still be alive." James looked more than a little shocked to hear this piece of news, but Remus was more interested in why Sirius was telling James at all, he had never even told Remus. He had heard it from Dumbledore.

"You didn't need to tell me." James' voice was choppy. "If I thought that I needed to know, I would have asked you."

"I know." Sirius said. "I just- Thanks for standing by me back there."

James nodded, understanding this sudden shift in their relationship. "I understand that my father isn't the greatest man in the world. He can be narrow minded and difficult."

"Can I ask you something?" Sirius asked, pushing open the door to the armory. "Why did you make me a knight? I couldn't have been the best candidate for the job."

"I've never seen anyone fight with a sword like you do. Or with your fists for that matter." James shrugged. "I also thought your knowledge of Bella would be useful." He started packing a sack of weapons and gear, Sirius and Remus did the same. "And Remus said that you were trustworthy."

"Did he now?" Sirius asked, sounding uninterested, but he was smiling.

"Definitely not." Remus smirked. "James misheard me. I said that you were more likely to pass out at the foot of my bed when I'm going off to work than anyone I know."

"I did that once. And you should have seen the lass Remus…"

"No."

"That's all you have to-"

"We've talked about this." Remus sighed, shoving an extra pair of leather gloves into his pack. "Now, we need to think about how we are going to keep from freezing."

oOoOo

Lily was at Hagrid's when she heard that James was headed out on some expedition with a handful of Knights and guards. The large man, quite reasonably so, had a large fireplace, and a small house. It was the warmest place that she had been able to think of.

"I'm real glad that you've been able ta' visit me so much." Hagrid said, pouring Lily a second cup of tea and pushing a plate of burnt scones towards her. She and Mary, who was seated at her left, had taken to calling them 'rock cakes.'

Mary and her had been grouped together, a bit reluctantly so on both sides, when Dory and Marlene decided that they were going to accompany Lance on whatever mission that James was going on. It had been strange enough when there were four girls there, because Lily had judged them all rather quickly and decided that she didn't like them, which they all worked out when they had run into each other a few days ago.

Lily not having a job now left her with a lot of free time, something that she hadn't had in years. And now she found that she only had one place to go, Hagrid's. She was positive that it would have worked out great if Hagrid hadn't opened his doors to Lance and the girls, making Lily the odd one out, even though she had lived in Camelot, and known Hagrid, her entire life. All of that seemed to count for nothing when the three other girls had decided to gang up on her and use their newfound friendship with Lily's old friend against her.

Marlene and Dory were gone now, and Dory had been the worst offender when it came to the subtle game of, 'make Lily feel unwelcomed.' Mary didn't seem to mind the company so much, and Lily was starting to think that maybe she had been too harsh on these girls in the first place. At least too harsh on Mary.

Mary was a couple years older than Lily, and so far had given her very little personal information about herself. Lily had no idea where she was from, who her parents were, if she had any siblings, or even any interesting hobbies. She was witty though. And she had a short fuse, which made menial things seem entertaining.

When Hagrid had stumbled while carrying his scones to the table, one of them fell off his skillet and onto Mary's lap. It had signed her skirt, he apologized, and that should have been the end of it. However, Mary had stood up, yelled at him for being careless and then spent the next half hour teaching him the proper way to carry hot food across a room, making him practice alongside her. It started off embarrassing to watch, because Mary had been rather harsh, but by the end of the lesson, Lily's sides were hurting from laughing so hard. Somehow Hagrid had ended up trying to follow Mary's instructions while balancing a book on his head and blindfolded.

"Why didn't you want to go with Lance and the lot?" Lily asked, putting a few spoonful's of sugar into her tea. She didn't normally do this, but even Hagrid's tea had a strange burnt taste to it.

"We find that people get annoyed if we all follow him around all the time." Mary shrugged. "So we take turns."

"It seems like Marlene is always going along with Lance. Does she not know that yur' takin' turns?" Hagrid asked.

Mary laughed, and shrugged her shoulders. "Marlene and Lance… Well, let's just say you can't have one without the other. Dory and I appreciate this and don't fight her on it."

"So Marlene and Lance are together?" Lily asked.

"Almost always." Mary nodded. "It can be annoying sometimes. When we're all traveling together."

"I feel like I could settle a few bets now." Lily took a sip of her tea and tried not to wince. She added too much sugar, and now it was just burnt sugar water, which was worse than the burnt tea taste.

"Where're they all headed off to, anyhow?" Hagrid asked, tipping back his bucket of a cup, looking as though he thoroughly enjoyed his tea. Lily shook her head.

"Godric's Hollow." Mary said, "Apparently there's a bunch of wizards having a good time and the king wants them all dead."

"You don't sound as though ya agree." Hagrid said. Lily started tapping her fingers along the sides of her cup. She looked down into her mug and felt uncomfortable. She did not want to associate with people who spoke down to the king, and if Hagrid was going to do that…

"Magic is a crime." Mary said, "I know that. But it shouldn't be. Magic can be wonderfully helpful, and beautiful. But the king messed with fire, and now he is punishing everyone and I don't think that's fair."

"It's not just that he messed with fire," Hagrid said solemnly. "About twenty years ago, he and the queen found out that they could never have children. They were too old, and had missed their opportunity, but that wasn't sittin' right with them. They needed an heir. So they went to a witch who told them that with magic, they could have a kid'o their own.

Witch forgot to mention that to bring a life into the world that wasn't meant to be, would require a life in its place. The king got his son, but he lost his wife."

"That's horrible." Lily clenched her fists and shifted in her seat. "Does James know that?"

"I don't know." Hagrid shrugged. "He might. The king had to tell him something to explain why they cut off the heads of anyone who even looks to be doin' magic."

"That would be a terrible thing to tell your child." Mary scrunched up her face. "M'Sorry your mum's dead, now I go around and chop off innocent people's heads because I had a bad run in with one evil sorcerous.'"

"I'm sure the king phrased it differently." Lily sighed, resting her chin on her hand. Mary and Hagrid both looked at Lily and then started laughing. "What?" Lily asked, sitting up straight.

"It's nothin'." Hagrid waved her away.

"Except you kept giving all of us the stink eye for saying anything even remotely negative about the king," Mary picked up her glass and nodded it in Lily's direction. "Even though it's obvious that _you're_ not too fond of our great and noble leader either."

"I do not have to be fond of him to know that there are certain things that one should not say about him. Whether you like it or not, he is our king, and we must show him respect." Mary laughed again. "I meant what I said." Lily said harshly, tightening her grip around her teacup. "The king can be harsh, but he has done the people of this land a number of good things."

"None that immediately come to mind-"

"Stop that." Lily said harshly. Hagrid had the decency to look ashamed, while Mary just propped her feet up on a nearby stool and gave Lily a challenging look. "Forget the king for a moment; what would happen to the two of you if one of the king's guard were to walk by and hear you talking like this? If you think he is as awful as you seem to, do you think he will let you just walk around continuing to say such things? You laugh at me because I am cautious, but I have worked in the castle for a very long time. I have seen people get sent away for saying far less offensive things that what I've heard you say."

Mary's feet fell back to the floor and she sat upright. "Sent away."

"Banished, beheaded, whatever you'd like to imagine and then some. Some poor girl who still works in the dish room had her tongue removed for saying that she didn't understand why magic was so dangerous. That was it. That was all she said and now she is incapable of ever speaking again." This was only a rumor, one that could neither be confirmed nor denied since the only person who knew the truth was unable to communicate it, but Lily thought the story packed a punch and couldn't be that far from the truth anyway.

"You could have explained that to us earlier." Mary said, looking more put out than anything. "We wouldn't have talked about you so badly behind your back."

"Yes well- Wait. What?"

"We thought you were just being a good little servant girl, that you liked the king or hated magic just as he does, but that's not it at all." Mary reached out and put her hand on top of Lily's, an amused look and a smirk forming quickly. "You're just surviving, aren't you? Learned what you have to do within the castle walls to keep you and your family safe? I admire you for that. But we're in the middle of a farm with no one around for miles. There's a horse-sized dog guarding the door and a giant sized man guarding us. I feel that we could say whatever we wished about the king, and no one would ever hear it. We're safe here."

Lily thought about that for a moment. She looked out the window and could hardly see the main road from where she sat. And all the noise that she could almost never get out of her head at home was only a distant buzzing. She looked over at Hagrid and he nodded.

"'Sides little lass, I'd sooner let Fang have someone than let anything happen to you." Lily smiled at him.

oOoOo

The princes' guard, which consisted of Sirius, Arden, Amos, Frank, Fabian and Gideon, had decided against staying the night within the town of Godric's Hallow and instead stayed just outside the stonewall that marked its limits, in the forest.

"Reminds me of when I first met you, Lance." Sirius said, nudging the other man in the side. "And when I was reintroduced to you, Dory. I'm very glad that one of those things happened." Dory rolled her eyes, but otherwise, did not acknowledge the remark.

"Should I go and fetch us some firewood, your highness?" She asked instead, giving James a quick curtsy.

"Yes, that would be good." James nodded. "Take Remus with you though. We're going to put the horses away."

Remus almost thanked James for being considerate, but changed his mind at the last second. He doubted James had made that call with the fact that Remus didn't like horses in mind, and if he did thank him, James might make him put all the horses up for the night by himself. Instead, he just followed Dory deeper into the woods and started collecting firewood. Dory however, did not seem too grateful to have someone helping her.

"So what did these wizards do?" Dory asked, sounding exactly how Remus felt. Uneasy and a bit angry.

"They practiced magic." Remus muttered, giving a hard tug at a log that wasn't too keen to be separated from the frozen ground.

"Shite." Dory swore, dropping her logs to the ground and kicked at a tree stump. "That's shite." Remus gave up on the log and looked up at her.

"It's the law." He said. He cocked his head to the side and suddenly felt as though he and Dory were feeling exactly the same when it came to this subject.

"There are quite a few laws that shouldn't exist. This is just one of them. And it's too bloody cold for this." She gave her robes a tug and then bent over to pick the logs back up.

"You're not against magic?" Remus asked, bending down and helping her gather the logs.

"Hardly." She laughed. "It'd be quite useful right about now."

"Agreed." Remus said thoughtfully, standing up and then helping Dory to her feet.

"I'm glad you think so." Dory sighed. "Does this mean you're not a stark raving nutter, like the king?"

"I don't think anyone is quite like the king." Remus sighed. "Though, some people seem to be rather scared."

"They don't even know what magic is!" Dory cried.

"I didn't mean to say that they're afraid of magic, but they certainly fear the king."

"Right." Dory nodded. "You're right. They do fear him. Because whenever someone is suspected of practicing magic, he chops off their bloody head! No trial is held, no evidence is even needed, just _his_ bloody word!"

"You know someone with magic, don't you?" Remus asked, carefully prodding further than he should. Dumbledore would warn him to keep his mouth shut and too many people knew already. Dory's head shot up and she looked at him with wide eyes.

Remus watched the words turn around in her head, until quite deliberately, she said, "I used to know someone with magic. They saved my life on more than one occasion."

He wasn't sure if it was the way she had said that, or if he was hearing what he wanted to hear, but he was certain that Dory had magic.

"Well since neither of us practices magic, we should get back to camp before everyone freezes." Remus said. She smiled at him, a very tight lipped smile, and nodded. And that's when a second possibility came to Remus. It was more likely that Dory didn't have magic, and that Lance had told her that Remus had magic. That would explain why she had been so eager to prove that she didn't think magic was a crime, because she wanted him to trust her. And with Lance avoiding Remus, Dory was his best bet, especially while he had her alone in the middle of the woods. "Wait, Dory?"

She turned to face him, her teeth now chattering together.

"Did Lance tell you anything?" Dory's brow narrowed and she nodded.

"Lance tells me all sorts of things. Anything specific, or can we go back and make a fire?"

"About Leefside?" Dory shifted from one foot to the other and shrugged.

"He told me that it had been a distraction… Should he have told me something else?"

Remus sighed and shook his head. "You're just not an easy person to read."

"You do realize that I'm going to have to go and talk to Lance now? Ask him what you're going on about."

"That's fine. Tell him I'd like to speak with him as well." She may know something, but it didn't seem like she had been lying. And she didn't really have much need to either. Maybe she did have magic; that would explain why Lance had been so accepting when he found out that Remus had magic.

"What took you two so long?" James asked as soon as they entered camp.

"All the wood was frozen to the ground." Dory said, dropping her armload near a pit that someone had cleared out. Remus did the same and then knelt down to get the fire started. "I'll start the fire." Dory said.

"Dory does have a special knack for starting fires." Lance took a seat behind Remus and tapped him on the back, as though telling him to get back so Dory could do it.

"I've never seen anyone start a fire faster than Remus." James laughed, sitting down next to Lance. "One of the few things he's good at, really." Magic, Remus thought, was a wonderful thing.

He picked up the flint and within seconds, a few sparks had caused the kindling to catch and before long, they had a roaring fire. The knights gathered round and held their hands up to the wicked flames.

"Told you he was fast." James sounded almost smug when he nudged Lance's side. Remus rolled his eyes, he didn't much care for James thinking of him as property, but he was still somewhat pathetically pleased that James was proud of him for something. Even if he had sort of cheated by using magic.

"I can do it just as fast." Dory sulked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I bet you can." Remus murmured to himself, now almost entirely sure that Dory had magic of her own.

"I'm sure you can, Doe." Sirius said aloud, mollifying her with a few pats on the back.

"Shove it, Black."

"Oi, watch it. I'm a member of the princes' elite guard. You can't talk to me like that anymore."

"Shove it, _Sire._ " She corrected, causing everyone around the fire to laugh. Dory continued to try and look annoyed, but Remus saw the corners of her lips twitch upward.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Lance asked, shrugging his shoulders and readjusting his helmet.

"Lance," James said in a gentle tone. "It's freezing out, mate. The metal armor-"

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine."

"I don't know if I agree." Dory muttered. "Your nose is going to fall off."

"No one will ever know." Sirius shrugged. "We've never seen his face anyway. For all I know, he doesn't have a nose."

"I just want you to know that you are a member of our family, and we will accept you no matter what. I'd rather find out some dark secret tonight than wake to find you frozen to death in the morning." Dory let out a humorless laugh and Lance just shook his head.

"I wish could believe you, your majesty." He sighed. "But I know that if I take off my helmet, everything I've worked for will have been for nothing."

"And I know that you feel that way," James said. "I know that your mask conceals something extremely dangerous or revealing in some way and I let you fight beside me. I trust you with my life and the lives of my people every time that we go out together. I only wish that you would grant me the same trust in return."

Lance was quiet for a moment, and Remus thought that he was considering the Princes' words. Lance shifted a bit where he sat and then started to raise his arm.

"Are you mad!" Dory screeched, reaching out and yanking Lance's arm back down. "I know you're cold, but your brain must have frozen over if you think for a moment they'll still let you be a knight-"

"The Prince is right, Dory." Lance pulled his arm away from her, and stood up. "He has trusted me, and for every moment I continue to conceal myself, I am betraying that trust." Remus felt a sharp pang of guilt rattle through him, and wasn't sure if he imagined it or if Lance actually had glanced in his direction.

Dory stood up as well and drew her sword. Before Remus could react, the rest of the knights were on their feet, swords drawn as well.

"Lower your weapons." Lance said, putting his hands up and turning his back to Dory. "You will not harm her."

"She drew her weapon first." James said. "Ours will stay up until hers comes down."

"Dory, please." Lance pleaded, turning back to face her. "Don't you see how much simpler things would be?"

"Of course they'd be simpler, we'd all be kicked out on our arses."

"I don't believe that."

"Yes you do. If you didn't, you wouldn't be arguing with me. You'd just take off your helmet."

"You've drawn your sword on me, Dorcas."

"Oh, we're using full names now? Well, _Lancelot_ , I'm sorry that your conscious has finally caught up with you, but it's a bit late to tell the truth now." Dory said, her voice desperate. "It's not just your head that you have to look out for anymore."

"You and Mary came along with me, knowing the risks-"

"Came along with you?" Dory laughed. "We saved your life, you dunderhead. Or did you forget that part? We saved your life, and if you take off your helmet… that's it. It's all over. Everything that we've _all_ worked for is over."

"What do you mean?" James asked, his sword lowering slightly. Remus could tell by the look on his face that his mind was racing.

"I mean that you'll kick us out if he takes off his helmet!"

"No," James shook his head, his sword lowering even more. "You said that everything you've _all_ worked for… What exactly have you and Mary been working for?"

"Look, James," Sirius had lowered his sword completely by now, and was leaning up against it. "I know what you're thinking but-"

"Hush. Tell me what you meant." The whole forest seemed to fall silent as Dory looked from Lance to James. When she didn't say anything, James took a step forward and raised his sword to proper height. "A few weeks ago, someone burned down a town to get me and the knights away from the castle, but I never worked out who had done it, or why. Unless you want me to believe you guilty for these crimes, I suggest you speak up, girl."

"I can assure you-" James silenced Lance.

"Oh come now," Dory sighed, putting her own sword down. "All I meant was that Mary and I have been working extremely hard to make sure that you and your knights don't bully him into doing something _really stupid_. We've also worked hard to train him to be as good as he is. When Mary and I found him, he could hardly lace his own boots, let alone fight half a dozen men at once."

Sirius laughed at this. "You mean to tell me that little Miss priss and Mary taught Lancelot how to sword fight?" Dory crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her jaw out.

"Just because you never saw me doing something doesn't mean that I didn't do it. My father would have had my head if he knew that I liked to sword fight, so I practiced in secret. I'm really rather good."

"I have no doubt." Sirius said, his voice patronizing.

"You think I lie?" Dory narrowed her eyes. "Ask Lance yourself if you don't believe me."

"You've already discredited his word." Sirius shrugged. "Apparently, whatever he's hiding under his helmet is so horrible that James would punish all of you if he were to show his face."

"Mary and Dory did help me a great deal." Lance said, his helmet dropping a bit. He seemed to be deflating. "And they did save my life as well. I owe them much for everything that they have given up, for everything that they have done for me. If Dorcas wishes me to keep my helmet on, I have to oblige her request."

"Oblige her request…" Sirius laughed. "Yes, I suppose if you don't want her to run you through, you will have to do as she asks."

"That's enough, Sirius." James said curtly. "You may do as you please, Sir Lancelot. Maybe it is Dorcas that I should be attempting to win over." He smiled at Dory, who rolled her eyes and sat back down, putting her hands out towards the fire.

"You've already shattered any chance of my being alright with Lance removing his helmet."

"May I ask how I managed that?" James asked, following her lead and sitting down himself. The rest of the knights put their swords away and sat as well.

"Between you spiting the word 'girl' at me as though it were an insult and Sirius calling me 'Miss Priss,' I'm not too fond of anyone here at the moment." James sighed and reached out to put his hand on Dory's knee. She immediately stood up again. "I am not weak, your majesty. I do not require your chivalry." She turned towards Lance. "I know that you are cold, and I don't wish you to freeze to death. Let's go and set up camp a little ways off, where you would be safe removing your helmet."

James did not try and stop them as they left the camp and started into the woods. He did not try and defend his actions, or prove Dory wrong. Instead he watched them leave, a slight smile on his face.

"What is it, James?" Remus asked.

"I just don't understand her." He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "How can she go from so angry about something to mother hen like that?"

Soon after, the knights turned in so that they would be well rested when they rode into town in the morning. Remus waited until he knew that they were asleep and then got up and walked in the direction that he had seen Lance and Dory go. It didn't take him long to find them, they had a fire of their own, and it looked as though both of them were still awake. Remus was still quite a ways off, but he could tell that Lance didn't have his helmet on. He couldn't see much, but he was fairly confident that he could confirm Lance was blonde.

Walking up to the camp and finally seeing whatever it was that the knight was hiding crossed his mind for a brief moment, but he hadn't said anything about Remus being a wizard to anyone as far as he knew. So instead, he wrapped his scarf around his head, so that he could only see his feet, and announced himself to the both of them.

"What are you doing, Remus?" Dory asked, getting up from her seat near the fire and walking over to help escort him into their camp. Remus heard the clanking of metal and squeezed Dory's hand.

"You don't have to put your helmet back on." He said, hoping that he was facing Lance's direction.

"Oh, I'm not." Lance said, his voice sounding different than Remus had ever heard it. Though this was the first time he was hearing Lance without the helmet muffling him. "I trust you. If Dory was alright with it, I'd let you take off your blindfold."

"Because of something that happened in Leefside, right?" Dory huffed, sitting next to Remus, keeping hold of one of his arms. "Since when do you and I keep secrets from one another?" Remus couldn't see what was going on, but he was almost certain that Dory was talking to Lance, and giving him an annoyed look.

"When they aren't our secrets to share." Lance said, sounding determinedly patient.

"I have magic." Remus blurted out. That wasn't how he intended to break the ice, but it was out there now. There was a sharp intake of breath from Dory, and her grip on his arm tightened.

"The fire- but I watched you. You didn't use any spell."

"I don't need spells." Remus said. "I was born with magic. I can just do it."

"That's not how it works." Dory released his arms and then pulled off his blindfold, keeping her hands on each side of his face so that he had to look at her. "That's not how magic works."

"Not normally." Remus said, reaching up and laying a hand atop hers. "But I'm telling the truth."

"Prove it." She said. "Make something happen." Remus moved back, and went to turn forward. "Keep looking at me though. Don't look at Lance." Remus nodded and looked around behind Dory. There was a frozen flower bud lying not too far from her. He reached out a hand and summoned it towards him. Once he had caught it in his open hand, he held it out before Dory and willed it to bloom. She gasped when it did, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Dory," Lance asked quietly. "Do you have magic as well?"

"Hush Lance," Dory sighed, reaching back for Remus's face. "You're him, aren't you?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're him: Emrus. We've been looking for you, and all this time you've been right under our noses. Oh! Just wait until I tell Mary!"

"So you do have magic." Lance said, standing up and taking a step towards them. Remus turned his head further towards the woods and Dory laughed. She reached over and pulled his head towards her, planting a kiss on his forehead.

"You can look now. I'm sorry that I told you that you couldn't before. I had no right to do that." Remus was more confused than he had ever been.

"You trust him because…" Lance laughed. "Alright. Have a look, Remus. But you should know, Dory, that later you and I are going to have a talk later about trust and hypocrisy."

Remus tried to steel himself for whatever he was about to see, but when he turned around and laid eyes on Lancelot's face for the first time, he didn't think it would have been possible to prepare himself for what he saw.

"Marlene?"

* * *

 **AN: So, you have my roommate Elizabeth to thank for this chapter being posted. I was being lazy and didn't want to edit, but she started reading this story and made sure that I got motivated.**

 **Anyway, leave me some reviews, you all know how much I like them.**


	12. The One Where James Finds Out

**AN: I know, I know, I know. I have no excuse that I haven't offered already, I just haven't had the time to write/edit at all this month. Trust me when I say that it's been harder on me than it has on you. I get all antsy when I can't write/edit. But enough of this.**

 **This chapter is full of new characters, mostly some not so great people, but still. Also, a part of the chapter is written in Bella's point of view. I love writing in her pov. Oh, and the Sirius sass is on point in this chapter as well. Honestly, I crack myself up.**

 **Enjoy**

 **EDIT: I noticed that my spell check on MW was auto-correcting Rodolphus' name to Rodolpus... While it may be a more accurate representation about how Bella and myself feel about him, it's still been corrected.**

* * *

 _"But you can't make people listen. They have to come round in their own time, wondering what happened and why the world blew up around them. It can't last."_  
 _― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451_

 **Chapter Twelve: The One Where James Finds Out**

The ride into town was a quiet one. Lance rode in the back with Dory and Remus, who had, for some reason unknown to James, joined their camp in the middle of the night. Sirius seemed to be the only one in a good mood.

"If my fingers fall off," Arden rode up so he was next to James. "Will you promise to take care of me in my crippled state?"

"I'll take you in, Ardy." Gideon assured him.

"And where are we going to put him?" Fabian asked, riding his horse while his hands rested in his armpits. "Shall he share a room with Ann or Alissa?"

"I was thinking he would sleep on the floor with the dogs. He already smells the part." Gideon smirked, now mimicking his brothers riding style.

"You're both hilarious." Arden said, now trying to sit on his hands. "Someone should check on Amos. He's been awfully quiet."

"I'm sorry, do you wish me to contribute to this idiotic babble?" Amos muttered, continuing to not move, as though that would fool the wind into thinking he wasn't there.

"No one is going to lose their fingers." James said, not entirely sure if he meant that or not. It was extremely cold this morning, but they didn't have that much further to ride and then they could go into a tavern or someone's home to warm up. Wherever they ended up, James would make sure there was a fire.

"I think I've been here before." Sirius said. He had been riding at James' right the entire trip, and the longer he was there, the more James thought he might belong there. He was crude and loud, but he was also extremely loyal and brave.

"When?" James asked.

"Right before I came to Camelot. This is the last town that I stayed in."

"Did you notice anything?"

"You mean did I see anyone running around casting spells?" Sirius asked, giving James a dry smile. "If I did, it must have slipped my mind." He sniggered to himself and James shook his head. "The barmaids nice though. Emmaline Vance if I remember correctly."

"So he does remember their names in the morning." Arden laughed. "Good on you mate. I can't always say the same."

"It wasn't like that." Sirius scoffed.

"Did you say Vance?" Dory called up from the back of the group.

"Yeah," Sirius called back. "It's Emma, you Aunt."

"Aunt Emma? She was disowned about a decade before I was."

"I was wondering what a Vance was doing tending a bar."

Soon the town came into view and James heard a collective sigh emanate from his companions. "Is there room for all our horses at the tavern?"

"There should be. There was a barn right behind it."

"Again, if you're remembering correctly, right?" Fabian asked, "Because you were drunk."

"Not when I got to town." Sirius said curtly. Fabian and Gideon's pride had not healed entirely since Sirius had taken on both of them and won when he first arrived. James had tried a few times to temper things between them, but nothing had worked. So now, as long as they weren't throwing punches or trying to run each other through, he was just going to let it be. It probably wasn't helping that James kept showing Sirius favor over the other more senior, noble knights.

"You're sure there's nothing to be worried about?" Arden asked, his eyes darting around from building to building as they started making their way down the main road. Many people started peeking their heads out their windows to see who they were, and other's rushed towards their houses when they saw them coming, slamming their doors shut behind them.

"I did get robbed here." Sirius said, as he remembered waking up to find that all his possessions were gone. He still missed his old sword. "And then I found Dory, Mary and Lance about six or seven miles that way." He pointed in the direction of the castle.

"Did you all pass through here?" James asked.

"A few times." Dory answered. "Nothing strange ever happened."

"Your friend lives here with her mum, yeah?" Sirius asked, remembering the third girl that had never shown up to camp.

"You've got an awfully good memory." Lance sighed. "But yeah, Hestia Jones lives here. I think she's Mary's second cousin."

"Why didn't Mary come then?"

"It was my turn." Dory's response cut Lance off.

"You both could have come." Sirius said.

"Mary and Dory think you all get persnickety when both of them follow me around all the time."

"We don't understand it," Arden nodded his head. "But we don't really care one way or the other. If you want to have your girlfriends hanging around all the time, and they're alright with it, then ten points to you, Lance."

"Dory and Mary aren't Lance's girlfriends." Remus snapped. James turned his head over his shoulder a bit to see what was wrong with him, but Remus didn't look at him and James didn't know if it was the horses or something else that had him on edge.

"Let's everyone shut up now, yes?" Sirius asked, pulling James' attention back to the road. A small group of men had gathered up the road a ways and were eyeing them all rather ominously. James saw that they were all carrying swords and wearing armor and took a deep breath. He was really hoping to get through this trip without an incident. Despite what his father had told him, he hadn't heard of anything coming out of this town from any of his knights, and he wasn't quite sure why his father had sent him here in the first place. There were more pressing matters that needed James' attention, like Lily for instance. And Bella.

He wasn't surprised to see a group of men looking angrily in his direction. If there was one thing that his father was good at, it was infuriating people. He was so caviler about chopping people's heads off that he often chopped off innocent people's heads on accident and hardly apologized for it. Not that an apology would make a difference, but the king didn't even try to make amends, nor did he change his ways.

"What do we do?" Sirius asked quietly, fingering the hilt of his sword.

"We're not going to fight them."

"They look like they want a fight."

"Unless they pull their swords and try to run us through, we're not going to fight them."

"But we can intimidate them, yes?" Arden asked.

"No. Unless they actually attack us, don't do anything." James commanded. "Don't even think about doing anything. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Sirius and Arden muttered.

"Hullo, good sirs." James waved to the men when he got within hearing range.

"Your highness," The group of men bowed, but the man in front was the one doing the talking. He was of medium build, with long thick brown hair and crooked nose. A woman stood at his side, looking much angrier than he did, her matted locks pulled back into a messy bun and she seemed to have a layer or dirt covering every inch of her person. "To what do we owe this great honor?"

"Come to slaughter more of our child-"

"Contain yourself." The man reached over and grabbed hold of the woman's wrist. She flinched and took a step back. The man smiled up at James and bowed his head. "I apologize for my wife, she's not been the same since our son died."

"He didn't die, he was murdered!" The woman screeched, yanking her arm from his grasp and running towards one of the houses.

"He came down with a fever." The man said, looking after her retreating figure. "Afraid she came down with it too, she's never been the same since. Concocted some fantastic tale of the king murdering him for being a warlock though."

"And was he a warlock?" Amos asked, causing James to tighten his holding on the reigns. He couldn't publicly reprimand him at the moment, but he swore that the moment he got Amos alone-

"Do you speak for our prince now?" The man said, reprimanding Amos for James. James almost thanked the man, but instead he cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry to hear about your son. I can't imagine going through such a terrible loss."

"Thank you, sir."

"My knights and I were simply here to resolve a conflict that was brought to my father's attention a few days ago. As soon as we have completed our task, we shall be on our way. Though I'm afraid we may want to get in out of the cold for a bit. The taverns just up the road, yes?"

"Yes, my lord. Straight up this road. You can't miss it."

"Thank you. And I don't believe I caught your name."

"S'cause I didn't give it to you, sir." The man smiled and something about it sent chills down James' spine. "Names Dolohov. Lord Antonin Dolohov of Godric's Hallow."

"A nobleman?" James asked, giving the man a nod. "I might need to talk to you later, where can I find you?"

"My wife and I've been staying in that house just there since our son pass away. Can't really get her back in the manor, all she does is sob." James shifted about uncomfortably on his horse and nodded again, but this time for lack of something to say. "I don't want to keep you in the cold any longer, sir."

"Thank you, Lord Antonin." James said, glad that the man gave him an out. "I'll be seeing you later." Just as he stared moving his horse further down the road, a man shot out in front of him, tripping almost directly in front of James's horse. His black hair bounced around in clumps, and he had a large hooked nose, that was now covered in dirt.

"Get off the ground, you mulling twit!" Antonin shouted, reaching towards the man and yanking him to his feet. "You're in the presence of royalty." Antonin now forced the man into a bow.

"Let go of me," The man muttered, trying to maneuver out of Antonin's grasp.

"Let go of him," James said. He was not sure what his father had sent him here to handle, but he had a feeling that whatever it was, Antonin was most likely behind it.

"I mean no disrespect, sir, but I think I have a right to treat my servants however I see fit."

"I'm not your servant!" The man shouted, getting free at last.

"Your mother sold you to me because she couldn't stand to look at you any longer." Antonin spit back. "You're whatever I say you are." He turned to look at one of the other men standing behind him. "Take him back to the manor."

Before the man was dragged off, he looked up at James. James tried to give him an encouraging smile, but the man's face turned into a sneer and James had never felt more loathed in his entire life.

Without saying a word, he stared towards the tavern, knowing that his men would follow his lead. There was something off about this place, but he still needed to find somewhere warm for his men to rest. Last night had been rough on them no matter how close they tried to sleep to the fire. They needed to de-thaw.

oOoOo

Bella was sitting by the window brushing her hair and thinking about the man who had visited her a few weeks ago. He hadn't spoken to her since, in person or otherwise, but she was dreading their next encounter.

She wanted the king dead. She knew this, and she would be grateful for any help because she didn't really know how to go about killing someone, especially not someone who was so good at killing people himself. When she had been going about it alone, she had acted so quickly, and looking back, carelessly, because she had mostly been afraid of the king working out what she was trying to do and executing her before she was able to kill him. She had decided that she wasn't afraid of dying, she couldn't be afraid of dying while practicing magic under the king's nose, but she was afraid of dying before she could avenger her family. Before she was able to make him pay for all of the horrible things that he'd ever done to people like her.

The king needed to die.

That was not the man's only stipulation however. If she wanted his help killing king Charles, then she also needed to take out James. That's where Bella grew weary of accepting the man's help. She liked James a great deal, she may even love him. They had grown up together over the last five years, and many thought that they were like siblings, with their playful banter and his protective nature. Bella liked thinking of James as her brother, and she didn't want any harm to come to him…

But as long as king Charles sat on the throne, people with magic were going to continue to die, and Bella couldn't just sit around and let that happen. She couldn't prove to the man that James was different than his father, that he wouldn't persecute everyone he thought to be more powerful than himself, that if he was king, things would be different, but she was still planning on trying.

The king had sent James off on some witch hunt in Godric's Hollow, if he didn't kill anyone, and Bella was sure that he wouldn't, than maybe she could talk the man out of killing him. She didn't need to be queen, it wasn't the throne that she desired, all she needed was her revenge.

"My dear, sweet, Bella." Bella spun around and saw Rodolphus Lestrange standing in the doorway. Bella sighed, and offered him a tight lipped smile. He was yet another reason that the king had to die. For some reason, the king thought it was necessary to find her a husband before he forced James to marry, and Bella could not stand Rodolpus.

"I thought you were gone for another three months, exploring the sea and all that. Trying to make a name for yourself?"

"I missed you." He gave her a toothy grin and then took a few steps into the room. "Besides, I already have a name to be proud of."

"Your father's name." Bella muttered, standing up and setting her brush on the windowsill. "And let's not pretend that we do anything more than tolerate each other. We're both doing this because we've been told to."

"I wish you would stop pretending that you're not attracted to me." He leant over her vanity and admired his reflection as he spoke to her. "Nearly everyone is." Bella rolled her eyes, but it wasn't something that she could dispute. Rodolphus was, to her disdain, very attractive. He had a strong jawline, bright blue eyes, tanned skin and thick dark brown hair. He was tall and walked with the confidence of someone who had been told his whole life that he was beautiful. He was nice to look at, but Bella didn't like anything else about him, and she most definitely didn't want to marry him.

"Maybe if you're beauty was more than skin deep…" Bella pursed her lips and clasped her hands behind her back. Rodolphus turned his head away from his reflection long enough to grimace in her direction.

"I spoke to the king before I came up here." He was back to looking smug again.

"Yes? Did he ask you to marry James instead? I think you would make a wonderful Queen." He spun around and crossed his arms.

"He's moving up the date of our wedding." Bella froze, not sure if he was telling the truth.

"Why would he do that?"

"There was an attempt on his life." Rodolphus shrugged. "He wants to make sure that he's around to see you walk down the aisle."

"I don't find what you're saying to be at all entertaining. Someone did try and kill him, and the sooner that they're brought to justice, the sooner I can sleep through the night."

"Oh stop with the act." Rodolphus laughed. "Though, you are rather good at it."

"What are you talking about? Are you honestly suggesting that I'm not unnerved by the fact that someone snuck into the castle and attempted to poison a man who has become something of a father to me?" Another laugh from Rodolpus.

"You mean someone who has forced himself into your life by murdering your actual father? Yes, I am suggesting that you may be disappointed that he's still breathing. "

Bella blanched, though she quickly recovered, taking a sharp step towards him and putting her hands on her hips. "If you speak ill of our king, I can have you thrown in the dungeons; and I will. The King won't have me marry a traitor."

Rodolphus gave her a strange look and then sighed. "You actually hate me more than you hate him, don't you? Why?"

"I don't hate him! Stop saying that."

"Stop lying to me." This he said more forcefully than Bella had ever heard him say anything. She took a step back and gave him a reproaching look. "You're not the only one that the Dark Lord has been in contact with."

"The Dark Lord?" Bella raised her brows and chuckled, still a bit taken back at his drastic change in demeanor. "Who the bloody hell is the Dark Lord?"

Rodolphus sighed. "Lord Voldemort." Bella gasped, to which Rodolphus gave an even smugger grin. "And he seems to think that a union between the two of us is a good idea as well. And I heard that marrying you may come with a crown now, so I'm even more motivated for this to actually happen than I was before."

"He's wrong." Bella crossed her arms and turned away from him. "I'm not going to be queen because James isn't going to die."

"The Dark Lord did mention that you were being strangely adamant about that."

"There's nothing strange about it." Bella snapped. "He is my brother, and he's done no wrong by me. I will protect him."

"Look, I'll kill him myself if you try and keep me from the throne. The Potters should never have been on the throne in the first place, their family name is only a step above some commoners."

"Lady Bellatrix?" A mousy girl named Alice peeked her head into the room. She was Lily's replacement. When some of the other maids heard that Bella had let Lily go, they had all lined up at her door, as they were supposed to. Bella had chosen Alice because she had been off dusting while this was going on and she figured she could tell her to continue going about her usual tasks and she would listen. "The King sent me up here to ask you to join him in the throne room."

"Thank you, Alice." Bella smiled sweetly at her. It was nice having a maid that wasn't constantly around. Instead of sending Alice off to tell the king that she would be joining him soon, or just dismissing her, she took this opportunity to get away from Rodolpus.

He took hold of her arm as she walked past him, still smiling sweetly, but his tone relayed a different type of message. "We will be wed, and I will be king. Soon."

"Threaten me again, sir, and the king shall have your head." Bella said, just loud enough for Alice to hear. His smile faultered, and he released her arm.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" She asked when it was just the two of them in the corridor.

"Yes," Bella nodded. "He is my betrothed. I just had to make sure he knew who was in charge of our relationship."

oOoOo

"Ow, Evans!" Mary shrieked, more out of shock than pain. "Where did you learn how to do that?" Lily laughed, and threw her sword in the air, catching it with her other hand.

"My dad's a blacksmith, he did teach me thing or two about swords." Lily shrugged. "And I do catch a glimpse of the knights training every now and then."

"Visiting your boyfriend?" Hagrid asked from his seat on the porch. He was shucking corn and making sure Fang didn't maul anything. Or anyone.

"The prince?" Mary cooed, teasing Lily right along with Hagrid. The only problem was they were both teasing her about two different people.

"The prince?" Hagrid laughed. "I was talking about Remus."

"Remus?" Mary laughed. "I thought he was with Sirius." Lily laughed at this.

"Remus isn't with Sirius."

"They're living together, aren't they? With the old court physician? And they're hardly ever apart. Remus is always nagging Sirius, he's always giving Remus a hard time…I thought they were together."

"Well…" Lily paused for a moment, then she shook her head. "No, they're not together. And neither are Remus and I."

"Obviously." Mary rolled her eyes.

"I'm not with James either."

"That's not why it's obvious. I just still think Sirius and Remus are together." Mary shrugged.

"Wait, why would you be with Prince James?" Hagrid asked, his giant hand, holding four ears of corn at once.

"The prince has fancied Lily for ages now." Mary played with the hilt of her sword. "I'm surprised you haven't heard anything."

"But you brought Remus round. Ya' don't do that with just anyone. As a matter o' fact, you've never done that." Lily huffed and shook her head.

"That didn't turn out the way I planned." She dug the tip of her sword into the soft earth and started chewing on her lip.

"Did he hurt you?" Hagrid asked, standing up. "I'll sick Fang on hi-"

"He didn't hurt me!" Lily put a hand up and raised her brows. "I promise. I'm all good. I did kiss him though. Then he told me that I was his favorite person in the world, but we were better off staying just friends." She sounded more bitter than she'd meant too.

"You just said that he didn't hurt you." Mary said, looking confused.

"It hurt a bit at the time, but he was right. We _are_ better off as friends. I was making something out of nothing."

"And he's with-"

"He's not with Sirius."

"Fine. Then tell me about the prince? According to Hogwarts gossip, you two are an item."

"Well that could not be further from the truth." Lily put a hand on her hip. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Though we did have to convince Bella that we were a couple the other day."

"You _had_ to?" Mary laughed. "What possible reason could you have had for doing that?"

Lily took a deep breath and let it out through her nose, trying to buy herself some time to think of a good reason for why she and James had had to do that. She really needed to learn to think before she spoke. She didn't like that she had to keep lying to everyone. "Well-"

"You're not with the prince, are you?" Hagrid asked, looking rather concerned. "Because, I don't think that would be a good idea, lass. He's a right respectable bloke, I suppose, but he's the prince. His father's gonna marry him off to some princess o' something."

"I'm not with James." Lily repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time. "And I don't think he's going to let his father marry him off."

"Why? Did you ask him about it on one of your secret rendezvous?" Mary twirled a lock of hair around her index finger and batted her eyelids.

"They're not rendezvous, he's teaching me to read."

"What?" Mary and Hagrid asked simultaneously. Lily shook her head and then let it fall into her hands, dropping her sword to the ground. Mary hadn't known about that. She had just been teasing again. Lily really was terrible at keeping things to herself.

"I think it'd be best if I just stopped talking." She sighed.

"I don't think so." Mary laughed, jutting her hip out. "I've got a lot of questions for you."

"Yes, well, I've got a chicken at home and since it's not going to cook itself…" She lent down and picked up her sword. "Today was fun though, and we should do it again. When I've learned to control my mouth and the words that comes out of it."

"No, I think next time, I'm taking you to the tavern." Mary grinned. "Maybe then I'll actually get some information out of you."

"And then you come back here and explain all o' this to me." Hagrid said. Mary nodded, a mock serious expression on her face. "I'll see you later, Lils." He said, waving one of his giant hands at her. Lily smiled at him and started walking towards the road. Mary jogged some ways to catch up with her.

"But honestly," She said, no longer looking as though she wanted to mock every word that Lily might say. "What's going on between you and James?"

"Nothing." Lily shrugged, trying to look genuinely sorry for not having actual gossip for her. "I think we might be friends now, but that's all."

"Does James know that?" Mary asked. "Because blokes are generally clueless about that sort of thing, and while James seems like he can be a handful, he also seems like a good one."

"Yes, he knows." Lily said, honestly believing that he did. He did make jokes about his failed attempts to woo her, he wouldn't do that if he were still attempting to woo her.

"So he's teaching you how to read?"

"I've always wanted to learn." Lily said, grinning foolishly. "You should see the library they have in the castle. I can't read yet, but I'm going to read every book in there one day."

"Sounds like a giant waste of time." Mary slung an arm around Lily's shoulders. "But why did our prince offer to teach you?"

"I don't really remember how it came up, but when I told him I didn't know how, he insisted that I let him teach me." Lily tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I was a bit surprised, but like I said, I've always wanted to learn, so I wasn't about to say no. And that library really _is_ to die for."

"So that's really all that's going on between the two of you?" Mary asked. "He's teaching you to read?"

"Sorry."

"And you're still denying that anything is going on between Remus and Sirius?" Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Even though they've been having nightly sleep overs for almost a month now?"

"Even though Sirius has been staying with Remus and Dumbledore for about a month now."

"It doesn't sound dirty when you say it." Mary chided.

"That's because it's not dirty." She looked up and realized that they had reached her house. "Thanks for walking me home. Would you like to help me cook dinner?"

"Would I get to eat it as well?"

"If you want." Lily said. "I can't in good conscious make you eat any more of Hagrid's rock cakes."

"I know! I thought we were going to have corn tonight, because he's been shucking it since this morning, but no. It's for his heard of wild deer that live in the woods. Why he needs to feed wild deer is beyond me, but I would like some food that doesn't threaten to break my teeth every time I bite into it."

"Well, the Evans' would be more than happy to have you."

oOoOo

The Tavern was small and warm. James and his knights all fit in the front room, but only just. Remus was still off in a group with Lance and Dory, which James thought was strange, but not strange enough to mock him for it. His mind was mainly on that man that had fallen in front of his horse and the look he had given James.

He knew that his father was a horrible man who had done plenty of horrible things over the years, but he didn't think it was fair of the people to take that out on him. Did he understand it? Yes, but that didn't make it fair. He had never done anything too bad. And he'd even go so far as to say that he'd been the model citizen since Remus showed up and didn't let him get away with anything.

"What's on your mind, boss?" Arden asked, working his way through a second plate of mashed potatoes and chicken. Luckily, the Tavern had a fully stocked kitchen as well, or at least it started out that way. The knights were eating as though they had never seen food before.

"Just trying to work out why my father sent us here." James shrugged, not entirely sure why he was withholding information from Arden of all people. He shook his head and sighed. "I need to talk to Remus." He excused himself from the table and walked over to where Remus was seated between Dory and Lance. "Would you mind joining me for a moment?" He asked, noticing for the first time perhaps, the look of complete discomfort that Remus wore.

"Not at all." He squeaked, maneuvering himself in a strange manner to avoid touching Lance's legs. "I'd love to join you." Remus grabbed hold of James' arm and pulled him across the tavern and up a flight of stairs.

"What seems to be the problem?" James asked.

"Nothing's the problem- I mean the matter. There is no problem and nothing is- Why did you want to talk to me?"

"Well," James ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I don't know why we're here."

"Your dad told us to come here. That's why." Remus muttered, looking exhausted. "He's testing you. Everyone is bloody testing you. They want to see if you're going to be a copy of your father, or if you're going to rule differently. Whatever you do while we're here is going to set the tone for the rest of your life and I think that's awfully unfair."

"People should already know that I'm not my father!" James cried. "I have Lance and Sirius as members of my personal guard, neither one of them are noblemen and I've never even seen Lance's face!"

"They don't think you're as traditional, sure. But Sirius was a nobleman, and everyone was backing you on Lance joining the ranks. They would have thought you were a right swot if you hadn't made him a knight."

"Right." James shook his head and leant up against the wall. "So that's all this is? A test? Lord Antonin and that man from earlier?"

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

"I know that we were on horses at the time, but you had to have noticed that something was off about that whole encounter."

"Just explain what you mean." Remus rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"I felt like they were threatening me." James shrugged. "First with Antonin's wife, she ran off crying and he acted as though he didn't care, but if my father had their son executed like the woman had said, than that means Antonin was lying to me. Why would he do that?"

"To spare your feelings." Sirius said, walking up the stairs. "I'd apologize for eavesdropping, but it wouldn't be sincere."

"You think he was just being kind then?" James asked, not surprised or upset that Sirius had followed them.

"Oh, no. He was threatening you." Sirius nodded. "I wasn't entirely sure until that sniveling man showed up. He just gave me the creeps."

"I feel as though they all knew that we were coming. And they shouldn't have because I didn't even know that we were coming until a few days ago, and I only told the lot of them yesterday. My father and myself and you two were the only ones who knew about this trip before we were already leaving."

"Glad we're on the same page." Sirius said.

"Wait, how did we get here?" Remus asked. "I thought he was just threatening you. Now it's some elaborate plan?"

"It wasn't an outright threat." Sirius said, leaning against the wall opposite of James. "It was more his smug attitude and he got really angry when his servant showed up out of nowhere. I don't think he wanted us to see him."

"Whatever my father heard about, they wanted him to hear about it. They knew that he would send me out because he's still too ill to travel, especially in this weather, and they have something planned." James started pacing the length of the hall. "They have something planned and everyone is watching me right now to see if I'm going to become my father. But whatever they have planned, is probably going to set me up to look exactly like him."

"Or worse." Sirius added unhelpfully.

"What do you think they're going to do?" Remus asked. "You don't think they'd go so far as to-"

"Kill me?" James shrugged. "Don't see why not. My father has killed a good number of people from this town. I wouldn't be surprised if they all want me dead, just to get back at my father. I have to convince them that once I'm king, things will be better for them. That I'm not just going to go around and chop off everyone's head."

Sirius gave Remus an extremely pointed look that James didn't think he was meant to see. "If only you know how unlike your father you really are." Sirius turned and gave James a smile. Remus's jaw clenched and he looked about ready to clock Sirius in the face.

"Alright, Remus." James crossed his arms. "Tell me what's going on."

Remus laughed humorlessly and shook his head. "I don't think it's all that relevant at the moment. Apparently this town went to great lengths to get you here so that they could kill you."

"I don't know. I think it could be relevant." Sirius gave Remus another look, and with everything else going on, James had about had it with their looks.

"If you two don't tell me what's going on, so help me God, I will send both of you back to the castle."

Remus and Sirius's eyes both went wide, and Sirius, for the first time in James' recollection, looked as though he regretted what he had said. "It's nothing, sir. I'm just giving Remus a hard time."

"I don't believe you." James snapped. "We have to be able to trust each other. I've already got one of my knights unwilling to show me his face, I don't want the two of you keeping secrets as well."

Remus started to shift about uncomfortably. "You said that this trip is going to define what kind of king you're going to be, yes?" James nodded and Remus took a deep breath.

"Remus, I don't think telling him is the best idea-"

"This is on you." Remus pointed a finger at Sirius. "I trusted you to keep this to yourself, and you wouldn't stop poking in front of him. Whatever happens is on you." He took another deep breath and turned to James. James didn't know what to expect, but he had never seen Remus this nervous before. "I only ask that you show me mercy." Another deep breath. "I have magic."

There was a stagnant pause where Remus looked at the floor, Sirius looked at James and James looked at Remus. "What do you mean you _have_ magic? Where do you have it?"

"He means he's a bloody wizard." Sirius huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and still eyeing James.

"But you don't practice magic. Right?" He asked, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I can't help it. I either do it consciously and learn to control it, or it would happen sporadically and without warning. It still does sometimes, but I'm getting much better."

"You're getting…" James blinked rapidly and then rested his face in his hands. "We are here to- and you… You're a wizard?" He could hear the blood rushing in his ears, his stomach seemed to have dropped to his feet and his palms were all sweaty. "You can't be. You're just- You're just Remus. You're my servant. You're from bloody Ealdor, you're nobody."

"Watch it." Sirius took a step forward and Remus grabbed hold of his shoulder, pulling him back.

"Shut up, Sirius."

"You've lied to me." James said, the pounding in his head getting louder. "Why would you lie to me?"

"I lied to protect myself. My first day in Camelot I saw a man lose his head for being a wizard. I didn't think it would be wise to tell anyone what I was."

"You didn't think it wise?" James laughed and spun around, running his hands through his hair, one resting at the base of his neck. "You've got no idea the position you've just put me in."

"I'm making you decide now." Remus took a small step towards him. "What kind of king are you going to be? Are you going to persecute me for something I was born into? Something that I can't change about myself? Or are you going to overlook it? Are you going to accept it and know that I'm still the same man that I've been for the last half year? I've never used my magic to hurt anyone, nor will I ever use it to hurt anyone."

"It's true." Sirius said, standing next to Remus. "He's actually used it to save-"

"I told you to shut up."

James couldn't believe what he was hearing, he didn't think he wanted to believe it. Remus was a wizard? That didn't seem right. He had locked Remus in the dungeon, he had insulted him a countless number of times, given him a hard time about everything he possibly could have, forced him to spar with him, ride horses, hunt, clean… If Remus was a wizard, why would he do these things? Why would he allow people to treat him the way that James treated him? If he had the option of having an easy life, of having everything he wanted being handed to him through fear or intimidation, then why did he choose the thankless life of the Princes' servant?

Of course James' view of power and magic were a bit skewed because they had been constructed around his father's view of power and magic, but these were the things running through his head. These were the things he was trying to work out while Remus held his breath, hoping against hope that he wasn't about to lose a man who had become one of his best friends.

It had killed Remus, having to lie to James nearly every day, hiding the little unexplainable bits of magic he had accidentally performed in James' presence and playing the fool to the bigger things that James had noticed. He had felt guilty for lying to him when James' life had been so recently turned upside down and ripped open, Remus baring witness to its unraveling yet keeping his own secrets to himself.

"Who knows?" James said quietly, not quite meeting Remus's eyes.

"The three of us, Dumbledore…" Remus sighed and pushed his hair off his forehead. "Lance and Dory."

"Lance and Dory?" Sirius asked. "Why do they know?"

"Because I told them."

"Why do you keep telling people?" Sirius let out a humorless laugh. "It's like you want someone to cut your head off."

"Well, I didn't plan to tell Lance. That was an accident, and then I just assumed that h-he had told Dory… Look, can we talk about this later?"

"You lied to me." James repeated, still not looking at Remus.

"I know." Remus said. "I know that I should have told you sooner, but you have to understand that I was just trying to protect myself."

James finally met Remus's gaze and Remus wished he hadn't. "We were friends, I would have protected you."

"James," Remus said, taking half a step toward the prince. "We _are_ friends. That's why I'm telling you now."

"No, you're telling me now because you had no other choice-"

"Of course he had a choice! He could have told you _anything_ else and we would not be having this conversation right now." Sirius put a hand on each of the men's shoulders. "We have bigger problems than Remus not sharing all his secrets with you. We just walked into a trap and we need to be prepared to-"

"I think you should head back to camp, Remus." James said, turning around and heading back towards the staircase.

"W- what?" Remus started following him.

"I need people who I can trust beside me." He said, bouncing down the stairs. "Take Lancelot with you." He announced once they were standing near where Arden, Lance, Amos and Dory were still eating.

"Where are we going?" Lancelot asked, looking up, helmet still on.

"I want you to escort Remus back to camp." James said. "And then stay there with him."

Lance shifted slightly in his seat, noticing the harsh tone that James' voice had taken on.

"Yes, sir." He said, voice slightly thick. "I ask that Dory be allowed to stay behind. It's rather cold and she would be safer here at the inn."

"Like hell-"

"Of course." James nodded.

"What's going on?" Arden asked, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. "Why's Remus got to go back to camp? And why aren't you making Amos do it?"

"Oi!" Amos threw his empty tankard at Arden, who laughed and caught it quite easily.

"I need people who I can trust with me these next few days." James spoke sharply. "Because I'm quite sure that we just walked into a trap, and the last thing I need right now is something distracting me."

"Are you questioning my loyalty, sir?" Lance asked, shifting again.

"No. But as long as you continue to wear that helmet, I cannot fully trust you. Take it off and you can stay."

Everyone looked from James to Lance, even Arden had stopped smiling and sat up straight.

"I'll go and fetch the horses than." Lance said quietly. He started to turn around and then decided to address James once more, "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't try and tempt me into removing my helmet with false promises. I have now seen firsthand how you reward honesty. Come along, Remus."

* * *

 **AN: So, did you like it? Did you, did you, did you? It'd be pretty neat of you to leave a review if you did.**


	13. Earning Power

**AN: And we seem to be back on track. Here is your update, two weeks after the last one, and that was my original schedule. I know not all of you are happy with my schedule, but that does mean that the number of times that you're going to have to wait for a month or so are almost nonexistent. I can do once every two weeks.**

 **Anyway, enjoy all the bickering and the sass, the dinner parties and new information about the secret wizarding world.**

* * *

 _"The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. "_  
 _― Roseanne Barr_

 **or**

 _"Power resides only where men believe it resides. [...] A shadow on the wall, yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow."_  
 _― George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: Earning Power**

Bella held tightly to a piece of weather worn parchment as she made the trek from her bedchambers to the Great Hall. It wasn't often that she was asked to attend an event that James was not going to be at. Normally she wouldn't like having to go and socialize with the nobles without James there with her to poke fun at their silly clothes and horrendous attempts to be funny. She was glad that he wasn't going to be there today though, because today she was going with Rodolpus, and today she was going to agree to marry him in front of the king, and she couldn't see James understanding why she would make such a horrible decision.

She had made up her mind though. She was going to marry Rodolpus and enjoy her new position at court, a position that had been picked out for her not only by king Charles, but by Voldemort as well. Married to a noble, she would have more power than she currently did as the king's ward. And if Voldemort had his way, she and Rodolpus would be sitting on Camelot's thrones before too long. And while Bella didn't want that, she also assumed that if she didn't push Voldemort _now_ , if she went along with his plan _now_ , then later he would be more willing to listen to her, to spare James.

"Don't you look dashing?" Rodolpus was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairwell. Wearing black robes and a grin that Bella had to admit that she was partial to, he was leaned against the wall with both hands behind his back. "Though I think you could use a dash of color, my love." He withdrew his hand from behind him and with it came a pink rose.

Bella smiled and traded her parchment for the rose. "What's this?" He asked, unfolding the paper.

"It's from my sister." Bella said. "She said that we should meet you-know-who in the garden around midnight."

"You-know-who?" Rodolpus asked, looking slightly amused.

"It's better than having his name get out." She looked over her shoulder. "I swear the walls have ears."

"You're slightly paranoid." He tucked the note into his pocket and then offered her his arm. "But as the future queen-"

"I wasn't being paranoid." Bella snapped. "You can't say things like that either. One wrong step and you'll be executed for treason. You must remember that in this plan, one of us is expendable, and it's not me." He raised his brow at her, but then smiled again.

"You know, I was never upset that we were to be married. You're not like the other girls here at court are you?"

"Just keep your mouth closed if you find yourself wanting to share something you shouldn't." Bella said, looking down under guise of fixing her dress, when in reality she didn't want him to see her blushing. Gods, how this man vexed her.

They walked into the Great Hall and took their seats near the front of the table, Bella sitting on the king's left and the seat at his right left vacant. They had been some of the last to arrive and soon the king stood up and held his glass in the air.

"Welcome my friends," He said, pausing to allow people to return the sentiment. Bella felt herself tense up at the sound of his voice, once against cursing herself for not being able to follow through with her plans earlier. "As some of you may know, my son is outside the castle walls this evening restoring law and order in a town that has become known for its unholy and violent ways. When he leaves, the town shall be once again safe for people to pass through." He paused again, allowing people to praise James. Bella turned her head slightly to check Rodolpus' expression. He was playing his part well, glass in hand and a grin on his face praising the prince along with everyone else.

In fact, Rodolpus was playing his part _very_ well. He looked almost giddy. Bella's breath got stuck in her throat.

"James has taken a small group of his very best knights, and I have faith that they alone will be enough to stop the plague that has found its way into our kingdom." More cheering. Bella looked up at the king and realized that she wasn't at all aware what was going on. Where had the king sent her brother? Was he complete thick?

She leaned over and placed a hand on Rodolpus' knee. He looked over and smiled. She tilted her head so that he would lean in. "What is it, dear?"

"My brother is going to make it back alive, yes?"

"There's no need to worry, Bella." Rodolpus said sweetly, doing nothing to calm her now knotted stomach. " _You-Know-Who_ has no reason to kill him yet. We don't need to be making him into a martyr."

Bella took a deep breath and sat back up. James had walked into a trap, but he was going to make it out alive. She was working for the people who were planning something horrible for James' fate. Rodolpus said that they weren't going to kill him just yet, but the way he was smiling, the way his voice had changed when he said 'yet.' The king was a horrible man and he deserved to die for the crimes that he had committed, but James…

She made her decision right then. She would help her brother escape this unscathed, she would do everything in her power to make sure that nothing happened to him. He was just as much a victim of Charles's cruelty as she was, and she wasn't going to let anyone hurt him.

"Just follow the plan." Rodolpus said. "You agreed to the plan, remember?"

Another deep breath.

What had she done?

oOoOo

"You can't send them back to camp!" Dory shouted once Remus and Lance had walked out the door. She had one hand in her hair and the other on the hilt of her sword. "You can't treat them like that!"

"Especially Remus." Sirius agreed, taking a seat and picking up Dory's abandon mug of mead. "He's your best mate for God's sake."

"He's my servant." James corrected. Sirius scoffed into the mug.

"Why'd ya' kick Remus out?" Arden asked, his cheeks more than a bit flushed.

"I don't need anyone questioning my authority. I am your prince, and you all need to trust that I made the decision to send them back to camp to keep the rest of us safe." James snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. He was addressing a room full of drunk men and an angry Dory, he wasn't going to win any points in being reasonable, that didn't stop him from trying though. "We need to be united while in this town. For all we know, we're all in danger."

"Sending Remus and Lance away doesn't make us safer. Or united. It makes us the opposite of that. We're now two men down," Dory snapped, falling back onto her stool. She snatched her mug out of Sirius's hands and took a large swig. "Lance is our best swordsmen and Remus… Well _I_ for one wouldn't bet against him."

"Ya' know something 'bout Remus we don't?" Arden tried to laugh, but one look from Sirius and he pressed his lips together. "Sorry. Just tryin' to lighten the mood."

"YOU SNAKE BASTARD!"

James' party turned to see Tom, the owner of the tavern, come bellowing down the staircase that James, Remus and Sirius had just come from. He was holding a man by the scruff of his collar and dragging him along after him. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want you lurking about in my pub?"

"I'm sorry!" The man was trying to apologize but Tom kept shouting over him.

"Third time this week!"

"James, is that…" Sirius trailed off, sitting up straighter.

"Wait," James called out to Tom, but the man didn't seem to hear him.

"Get out of my pub!" Tom yelled, tossing him out the door. "And stay out!"

"That was the kid from earlier." Arden muttered, making the connection himself. "Dolohov's servant. What's he doing here? I thought he was sent back to Dolohov's manor."

"James." Sirius and James exchanged a brief look and then both took off towards the door at once.

"What's gotten into you two?" Arden called after them, getting up to follow.

"You lot stay here." James said, halting Dory and Arden in their tracks.

"What's going on, James?"

"Just stay here!"

James and Sirius made it outside and immediately drew their swords. "Which way did he go?" Sirius asked, scanning the surrounding area. It was dark, and a thick forest was nearby on the right of the tavern. If the man had gone in the woods, there was almost no possibility of finding him at this hour.

"I didn't see!" James bit back. "I was trying to get them to stay put."

"You don't think he heard, do you?"

"I have no idea what he was doing upstairs, but I'd like to find out."

"There's no trace of him anywhere." Sirius was now checking the ground for footprints. "His tracks head four steps to the right and then disappear."

"That's not possible."

"Why was he in the pub?" Sirius asked, putting his sword back in its sheath. He ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head. "People can't find out about Remus, James. I know you're pissed that he didn't tell you sooner, but we can't let anything happen to him."

James didn't say anything.

"He's my mate too." Sirius tried again. "And you know that if the situation was reversed, you would have kept it from him."

"No." James shouted, pointing a finger at Sirius. "You don't get to do that. I wouldn't have kept it from him-"

"Like hell you wouldn't have!" Sirius laughed, managing to sound both angry and amused. "Your father has made a habit of chopping off people's heads if they smell like a bloody warlock! Remus is supposed to believe that you'd be completely okay with him- being the way he is- when your dad has been brainwashing you your entire life?"

"He should have trusted me!"

"He's trusting you now, and look how you're rewarding that trust!" Sirius looked around and noticed a few people peeking their heads out of the tavern to see who was causing the noise. "Now let's get back inside before we freeze to death."

"Why was he in there?" James asked again, running a hand through his hair. "Was he following us?"

"We know he's working for Dolohov," Sirius shrugged. "I think we should assume he was. And that he heard everything we said upstairs."

"They know that they've lost the element of surprise." James muttered, putting his sword away. "They're going to be desperate."

"They're going to go to Remus." Sirius snapped. "Because you've just ostracized him and they think he could be a weapon."

"You don't think he would-"

"If you suggest that Remus would do anything that put our lives in danger, I'm going to break your jaw."

"You can't speak to-"

"Oh come off it, James." Sirius muttered, walking back over to the table and taking a seat next to Dory. James watched them whisper back and forth for a few moments before Dory excused herself and went up to her room.

He wasn't sure what had given Sirius the impression that he could treat James as an equal instead of the future king of Camelot, but with everything else that was going on tonight, James had about had it. They were making him out to be the bad guy and that wasn't fair. James was the one who was finding out that everyone close to him was lying to him, first his sister, then his father and now Remus. He had every right to be angry with them, _especially_ Remus, who had spent nearly every day with James for the last six months and taken it upon himself to tell James the truth about everyone except himself.

James clenched his fists at his sides and stalked off to the bar. "I'd like some firewhiskey." He said, his jaw set.

"Sorry, lad." The barmaid said with a shrug. "I don't like givin' hard liquor to angry men."

"I'm the prince." James said through his teeth.

"Well then I won't refuse you," She gave him a small smile and took out a glass bottle from under the counter. "But I still don't recommend that you take it. I'd be more than happy to offer you so-"

"I don't need your advice." He snapped, snatching the glass away as soon as she'd poured it.

"Pity." She sighed. "Saw my cousin with you and I figured you were different than they were saying."

"What?" James' head snapped in her direction. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Don't- Don't do that." James put his hands up. "Just tell me what you meant."

"Dory's my cousin." She said with yet another sigh. "My names Emmaline Vance. Dory's always been a real stickler when it came to who she held in her company, so I saw her with you and figured the things they were saying couldn't be true."

"What are they saying?" James asked, quickly getting frustrated with this older woman. "And who's saying it?"

"Oh I'd rather not repeat some of the things they're saying." She said, grabbing a rag and wiping down the counter to James' left. "S'not lady like. And I suppose everyone's saying something. You're not a very popular man round these parts, sir."

"I haven't done anything." It was now James' turn to sigh, leaning against his arm and taking a swig of his firewhiskey. All the fight seemed to drain out of him and he was suddenly aware of how exhausted he was. It really had been a long day.

"That's not always a good thing, lad." She patted his arm gingerly and gave him a sympathetic look. "I think our kingdom could use a bit of change."

"You wouldn't happen to know what they're planning on doing to me, do you?"

"The town?" Emmaline asked. She shook her head and shrugged. "Don't know the specifics, but it's not going to be pretty."

"They're not going to hurt anyone, though. Right?"

"I hope not, lad. You don't have many men with you."

"I sent two of them off."

"Why'd you do that?" Emmaline put her hands on her hips and James swore that she was the closest thing to a mother he had ever had, and he'd only been talking to her for a few minutes.

"I had to! I can't trust them."

"Why not?" Her eyes were narrowed now.

"They lied to me. Well, Remus lied to me. Lance just won't take off his helmet, says that I wouldn't let him be a knight if he took it off, which probably means that I shouldn't let him be a knight with it on either."

"What did Remus lie about?" She asked as though she knew exactly who Remus was. "Did he have a good reason for doing it?"

"Is there ever a good reason to lie?" James countered.

"The good Lord tells us that lying is a sin." Emmaline nodded. "But I think the reason he forgives all is so that he doesn't have to make any exceptions. Some lies are necessary, and no one would be doing any good to fault you for them."

"Are you really going to make them sleep in the woods again?" James was instantly on guard again when he heard Sirius's voice behind him. He took another drink of firewhiskey and watched Emmaline get another drink ready.

"I think it will do both of them some good." James muttered. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Didn't think I'd be seeing you again." She said, handing the drink to Sirius. "And especially not in uniform."

"'Lo, Emma." Sirius winked at her. "I had a long time to think about the conversation you and I had, and I decided to clean up my act."

"Really?" She said, sounding as though she knew he was full of it.

"Nah, made some friends and I needed to get myself a paying job so that I could stick around. Since fighting's what I'm good at, I figured I should stick with it."

"So you made friends with the prince?" She asked, nodding at James. "How did you manage that?"

"Didn't." He shrugged. "Befriended his servant actually. James here threw him out a little while ago so him and I aren't really on good terms at the moment."

"That skinny bloke or the man who wouldn't take off his helmet?"

"The skinny one. He's afraid of horses as well."

"Well," Emma shrugged. "You could have had worse luck I suppose." Sirius laughed.

"I suppose I could have." He then cast a furtive look at James and pressed on. "Remus is a good mate though, always looking out for his friends even when they don't want him to. Just the other month he pulled me off the side of the road while I was pissed drunk and let me sleep in his home. The floor of course, but that was in case I got sick I think. And now I live with him permanently. Don't know if he knows that yet, but I'm sure he's worked it out. He's a smart bloke."

"Why'd you go and send him off then? Just because he lied to you?" Emma asked James with a hand on her hip, not bothering to even comment on anything Sirius had said.

"It's complicated." James sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

"Course not. I'm just an over-the-hill barmaid with no personal experience with relationships at all. What was I thinking asking you about your troubles?" She huffed at him and then pulled another rag out from under the counter, tossing the dirty one somewhere behind her.

"I didn't mean to imply that you were unhelpful-"

"Of course not." Emma said. "You're a good lad, just a bit self-centered."

"I am the prince," James shook his head. "Does nobody know that?"

"Here in the Hollows you've got to earn people's respect with your actions," Emma said looking at James with her head tilted down. "Not with your title. A lot of folks round here have learned that lesson the hard way, and I'd hate for you to follow in their footsteps."

"They're going to freeze out there, mate." Sirius said, putting a hand on James' shoulder. "It's even colder than it was yesterday, and we had three times as many people to keep the fire going last night."

"Fine!" James snapped. "You can go and fetch them if you'd like. Just let them know that my generosity doesn't stem from forgiveness. I still want both of them to stay clear of me for the duration of the trip."

"Sound perfectly reasonable." Sirius muttered, downing the rest of his drink and then jumping out of the stool. "I'll see you in the morning then." James watched him walk over to the table where Arden was now sitting alone, nursing a Butterbeer, grab his cloak and then head out the door.

He looked back at Emma and did not appreciate the look that she was sticking him with. "What I'm doing is entirely necessary." He said, knuckles whitening as he gripped his glass.

"If that were true, you wouldn't feel so rotten, dear."

oOoOo

Severus hadn't always served the Dolohov's. In fact, there had been a time where he had employed servants of his own. He had been able to walk the streets of his hometown with his head held high, his clothes neatly pressed, his collar stiff and pristine. This had all changed when his father had found out that he had magic. Everything went from peachy keen to a nightmare before Severus had a chance to properly breathe.

His mother had tried to stick up for him, but she hadn't tried hard enough and his father had won in the end, taking away everything that Severus had had, leaving him without so much as a copper coin.

Severus had come to Godric's Hollow hoping to start new in a place where he should have been accepted. It had been rumored that Godric's Hollow, or the Hollow's as it was locally known, was a place where one could practice magic without fear of consequence, for the lawmen had magic, as did the governor of the land. They kept all those who asked for protection safe within their borders, keeping the king ignorant and the people in surrounding villages at bay.

He should not be serving under someone like Antonin Dolohov.

He pulled his thin knit scarf closer to his face and let out a hot breath on his hands. It was fiercely cold out tonight. The clear sky allowing for the moonlight to bounce off the snow, making it seem earlier than it was.

Severus had recently found himself in quite the interesting situation. For the first time since he came to this town, he had a fighting chance.

The future king's servant boy had magic.

If he kept his head down and played his cards right, he could use this information to better his position, he just knew it. He only had to be smart about it and wait for the opportune moment.

"Where have you been?" He had been walking past the Rookwood's slightly more than modest home and just his luck, Augustus' youngest son was sitting on the fence that surrounded the property. Severus had the feeling that he had been waiting for Severus, as there were not many reasons anyone would willingly be out in this cold.

"None of your business, Rook." Severus muttered, pulling his scarf tighter still.

"I don't think Dolohov would like that answer much. He's been looking for you." The boy was just barely twelve, but almost as tall as Severus; a fact that he emphasized by jumping down from the fence and taking a few steps forward.

Severus had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Not only at the poor attempt at intimidation, but he knew that Dolohov had not been looking for him because Dolohov was still back in the brothel with that wench of his.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Snake!" Severus let go of his scarf and spun around.

"Do not speak to me like that." His hand was at the ready, positioned as though he were holding an invisible sphere. "You know what I'm capable of." This was the only good thing about living in Hollow's; even if he was someone's servant, he was allowed to use his magic and that almost made up for everything else. Almost.

"You're not going to pull anything with the prince and his girls here." Despite his words, the Rookwood boy shrunk, taking a few steps back from Severus as well.

"What I'm not going to do is let you act like an insulant _swine_ simply because the prince came to clean up the town. As far as I'm concerned, he can stay for as long as he'd like and take as many of you as he'd like." He lowered his hand and turned back around.

"Is that what Dolohov is planning?" The boys asked quietly, sounding for the first time, openly frightened. "Is he going to purify the town?"

"Don't concern yourself with things you don't understand, Rook." Severus sneered. He had been doing that lately, inferring more than he should. Everything always went smoother when Severus didn't talk to anyone. He shoved his fists into his pockets and continued towards the Dolohov Manor.

As far as he was concerned, the town needed a good pruning. There were too many people who were apathetic when it came to standing up for their right to be who they were born as. People with magic were forced to hide in the shadows of the forest, or live like _muggles._ It wasn't fair and it wasn't going to stand. Severus hated Dolohov, but he stood behind him on this, he stuck around for this reason. He knew that Antonin Dolohov was a horrible man, but he also knew that he would make sure that magic became legal one way or another, and that was something that Severus was going to fight for no matter what the cost.

oOoOo

Bella's footsteps echoed around the courtyard as she made her way to the far right corner, ducking under an abandoned street cart to reach the gate that would take her to the gardens. It had been a long time since she had been to the gardens, and when she pushed open the gate, the familiar floral scent didn't hit her in the face as it always had. Instead she was forced to squint her eyes as she was greeted instead by the moonlight bouncing around the mounds of snow where the flowers once grew.

"You're late." Someone muttered from behind her. She turned, expecting to see Rodolpus, but was surprised to see Voldemort standing behind her.

"The king wouldn't shut up." Bella shrugged, trying not to let him rattle her. There was something about this man that made her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. The way he looked at her… it unnerved her. "Dinner ran a bit long."

"I wasn't asking for an explanation, merely voicing an observation."

The gate creaked and this time it was Rodolpus.

"And your betrothed is even later." Voldemort drawled, looking bored. Rodolpus puffed out his chest and pushed back his hair.

"I do apologize," He said, bowing his head. "I assumed that Lady Bellatrix would wait for me."

"I wait for no one." Bella snapped, turning to glare at Rodolpus.

"See?" Rodolpus said, his arrogance managing to shine through even his newly humbled exterior. "She's being difficult."

"Stop acting like a child. The only thing you proved by calling this meeting is that you are incapable of handling simple tasks."

"You set up this meeting?" Bella asked, more than a bit surprised.

"You needed to have some sense talked into you, and since you clearly weren't going to listen to me-"

"Hush." Voldemort took a step away from the garden wall. "I will reiterate this plan only once. The two of you are to take this vial," He withdrew a small glass vial from within his cloak and handed it to Bella. "You are to empty its contents onto anything that the king is going to ingest. After that, you make yourselves scares and act surprised when he falls ill… and just as shocked when he dies. I don't understand why you needed me to intervene. Did I ask you to do something out of your depth? Were you unable to-"

"Please, my lord-"

"Do not interrupt me." Voldemort said, his eyes shut. "Rodolpus, you would do well to remember that your part in this plan is entirely replaceable… almost arbitrary when I stop and think about it. Do not make me stop and think about it again."

"Yes, my lord."

"I'm sorry," Bella sighed, putting a hand on her hip, knowing that _she,_ was not so replaceable. "But why are you going by _Lord Voldemort_? Who gave you that title? Why does he seem frightened of you?"

"Power is not given, dear. Power is seized." He started to walk away from them.

"Well who did you take it from then?" She asked, now crossing her arms. While she was glad that this man had suddenly appeared and decided to help her achieve the goals that she needed a smidgen of help with, that didn't give him all the power he seemed to be claiming. "You can't take something from nothing. If you already have power, who did you take it from?"

"Bella…" Rodolpus hissed, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back towards him. "Shut. Up."

"Rodolpus," Voldemort said quietly, turning only his head as he spoke. "Be sure you teach your betrothed some manners."

"Of course, my lord." Rodolpus said, not looking nearly as smug as Bella was sure he would later.

"You see what I did there, Bella?" Voldemort asked, now walking away from her again. The moon shown full before him and he appeared to be walking into it. "I just made you powerless. Giving me more power, and you none. Have your task completed by the fortnight, or there will be consequences."

Bella and Rodolpus stood quietly as they watched him leave, and Bella wouldn't admit it, but she was impressed when she saw Voldemort spin around on his heel and disappear.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Rodolpus yelled, pulling her around to face him, stopping her when their faces were merely inches from one another. "Why would you speak to _him_ like that? Do you have any idea who he is?"

"Get your hands off of me." Bella ripped her arm out of his grasp and took a few steps back. "And no, I do not know who he is. He showed up in my bedchambers one day and now you're calling him the Dark Lord. I've never seen you even pretend to be frightened of anyone, why are you shaken by him?"

"You don't know what he's capable of."

"Well enlighten me."

Rodolpus sighed and shook his head. "He was imprisoned. There's this place where they keep people like him, people who practice the darkest of magic. People that they can't kill by mortal means. It's called Azkaban, guarded by the darkest creatures that our world has to offer."

"I've never heard of Azkaban." Bella said skeptically.

"That's because you've been the king's pet for the last six years." Rodolpus spat. "And he doesn't know about it. The people in the woods built the prison-"

"What people in the woods?"

"They call themselves _The Order_ of some such nonsense. They locked Voldemort up because he didn't want to hide in the woods any longer and he's willing to do what needs to be done to protect people with magic. People like _you_."

"If he's trying to help us-"

"He has this pet snake," Rodolpus shuddered slightly. "I've heard that he can talk to it. And the spells he knows- He can turn a man's insides to liquid, set his bones on fire while he still draws breath- He fought his way out of the prison with nothing but his magic." He paused and Bella found herself trying to imagine this. A large stone building, hidden in the middle of the woods, and Voldemort blowing apart the wall with a burst of red light. "The people in the woods, these _Order_ people, they tried to fight him back with their own magic, but they were no match for him. He overpowered two dozen guards. He _killed_ all of them, Bella."

"I can barely light a flame with my magic." She muttered quietly, pinching at the hem of her gown. "The Dark Lord." She said this almost reverently now, because quite suddenly it didn't seem nearly as ridiculous. "Why does he want us to be king and queen?"

"He's hand picking all the kingdom's rulers. They're all going to be people that will produce magical heirs."

"Do you have-"

"No. I've tried to learn, that's where I was these last few months, but I do not have the gift."

"Tell me more about the _Order_."

"They're a group of witches and wizards living in the woods and hiding from the rest of the world. They practice magic, but they fear the king and would rather hide their entire lives than fight for what's right. They are weak and spineless." He spit on the ground. "Think they can tell the Dark Lord what to do, well they've got another thing coming. Just wait and see what he's got planned for Godric's Hollow."

"Is that were James is?" Rodolpus nodded and Bella started chewing the inside of her cheek. "I think it's time to retire to my room for the night."

"Yes of course. I'll see you in the morning."

"Of course." She echoed. Her legs started taking her towards the castle and then to her room, which was lucky because he mind was too busy thinking over everything that she had learned today. Azkaban, _The Order_ , Voldemort's escape… how could she have not known about a wizarding prison? Or a group of magical people living somewhere in the woods?

She rubbed her thumb over the small vial that Voldemort had handed to her and wondered how long it would take for the contents to finish the job.

Where she had been nervous and unsure before, she was now slightly excited at the prospect of whatever Voldemort had planned. A world with magical people in control was not something that she had ever envisioned before, not something that she could have envisioned when the only thing happening to people with magic in Camelot, was a quiet beheading.

It wasn't until she had changed into her night things, crawled into bed and turned off her lamp that she remembered that James was currently in Godric's Hollow, a town that apparently was thriving with people just like her. She felt a sharp pain in her chest but then shook her head and nestled further into her bed.

Rodolpus had promised that James would make it out with his life. Whatever happened to him would be the fault of his father, or his own prideful ways.

And maybe it was because she wasn't sure that James would still love her if he knew what she was, or maybe it was because of her excitement about Voldemort's future, but she found herself almost entirely unconcerned about what James was about to go through.

oOoOo

Remus was livid. Or maybe he was terrified. More than likely, he was some uncomfortable combination of the two with anger slightly in the lead.

He wanted to pace back and forth, relieve some of his angry energy but it was too damn cold to leave the campfire. So he settled for angrily warming his hands over the flames while Marlene attempted to sleep and he could honestly say that he was the angriest that he'd ever been.

He didn't like keeping secrets. He hated it. He hated having to lie to James every day, having to sneak around and make up reason for why things were done too quickly, and why things didn't make a mess when they should have. He had magic, and he used magic a lot. Maybe he could have told James sooner than he did, but James shouldn't be reacting like this. Of all the scenarios that Remus had played out in his head, James getting angry because Remus _didn't_ tell him, was not one that he had thought of.

Marlene shifted, helmet off and to the side, and Remus figured that sleep had finally come. The glow of the fire reflected off the long blonde hair that had pooled on the ground. Remus sighed again and shook his head.

He now had the 'Lancelot' secret as well. If he didn't tell James and then he was to find out that Remus knew… He was sure that he would get fired and banished in the same sentence. But he couldn't tell him. It wasn't his secret to tell firstly, and secondly he really liked Marlene. He wasn't sure what James would do if he found out the truth about her, but he wasn't going to put anyone's livelihood in jeopardy of being turned upside down simply because James didn't like it when Remus kept secrets from him.

"Remus? Lance?" Remus turned his head in the direction of the voice, and squinted into the dark. "Is that you?" Remus sighed when he recognized the voice as Sirius's.

"Who else would be camping in the middle of the woods on a night like this?" Remus asked, standing up and stretching out his arms. He had been crouched close to the fire for a few hours now, he hadn't realized how stiff he was.

"Thieves and murders." Sirius said, stepping closer to the fire. Remus stepped between the sleeping figure on the ground and Sirius.

"Turn around for a moment."

"He trusts you?"

"It was more a, 'I'll keep your secret if you keep mine' kind of thing."

"Right, because Dory and Lance know about you." Sirius crossed his arms but turned around. "So is he deformed or something?"

Remus chuckled a bit as he knelt down to wake the sleeping knight. "Well, I can tell you that Lance doesn't look like you'd expect."

"What does that mean?" Sirius scoffed. "He's got a third eye doesn't he?"

"Lance?" Remus shook the knight's shoulder. "Lance, Sirius is here."

"What?"

"Good, morning sunshine." Sirius said.

"Sirius is here." Lance sat upright and started looking around, rather alarmed. "I told him to turn around. He didn't see anything." Remus said gently, reaching out and grabbing Lance's helmet. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Marlene coughed a bit and then put the helmet on. "What are you doing out here, Sirius? Did James kick you out as well?"

Sirius spun around, looking over her closely, as though he might be able to tell what it was she was hiding simply because the helmet had been off only a few seconds ago. When he found nothing different about the knight he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Nah, he came really close, but James actually sent me out here to get the two of you. He realized that he was being a bloody prick and decided that he didn't want you to freeze to death."

"How kind of him."

"What made him change his mind?" Lance asked, ignoring Remus's bitter remark.

"He talked to Emma, the barmaid, and was told that he over reacted. Also, he realized that he doesn't really want to be alienating his friends when a good portion of the town is after his blood."

"What?" Lance asked. "What do you mean they're after his blood? Is he mad? Why are we out here then? Why aren't we with him? Did he know that when he sent us off? We should go back to-"

"Slow down, Lance." Sirius laughed. "James knows he's in trouble, but we can't just leave. He wants to prove that he's not going to be his father when he takes the throne."

"I think keeping him alive is a bit more important."

"Not really. Charles has made a lot of enemies over the years. The sooner these enemies realized that James isn't his father, the sooner James can get rid of these enemies and then there will be less people after James' head." Sirius shrugged. "We've already talked through this."

"And how would we know that?" Remus muttered.

"Well you were there for the first part of the conversation." Sirius nudged Remus with his elbow.

"Yes, but then I was kicked out of the tavern-"

"Can we be angry with James when his life isn't in danger?" Lance asked, walking over to his horse and jumping on it.

"Sounds good to me." Sirius said, also walking over to the horses.

"How did you get your horse here without my noticing?"

"There are a lot of reasons that you're not a knight, Remus." Sirius sighed. "Your complete lack of awareness is most of them." Lance laughed and then road off ahead of Remus and Sirius.

"James didn't actually say any of that."

"What?"

"He didn't realize he was wrong or anything, he was just annoyed with me telling him that he was being a git and that the two of you were going to freeze out here."

"Why did you tell us-"

"Because James _is_ in a lot of trouble and I don't want Lance to be upset with him when we're going to have to try very hard to get James out of here unscathed." Sirius shifted in his saddle and Remus narrowed his brow. "You remember that servant of Dolohov's?" Remus nodded. "He was eavesdropping on our conversation. We're not sure how much he heard."

Remus felt his stomach drop and his breath became shallow. "He heard us?"

"We don't know for certain, but… We're assuming he knows everything we talked about."

"Perfect." Remus took a deep, shaky breath. "Well, there's nothing that can be done about that right now. Let's just get back to the tavern."

oOoOo

When the three of them reached town again, they tied their horses up at the stables and re-entered the tavern.

"We're closing up, boys." Emmaline said, wiping down a table near the back door. "Tom is having me kick everyone out." Remus hadn't realized how late it was before.

"We're just heading upstairs, Emma." Sirius said, winking at the older woman.

"Alright, tell your friends to keep it down."

"Yes ma'am."

James had woken up Amos, Fabian and Gideon and they were all seated on the floor, a lantern between them. Arden, who had not gone to bed, was still eating. He was now working through his second chicken of the night and James had made him switch from mead to water when Emmaline had told him that the town was indeed planning something.

"We're back." Sirius said, sweeping his arms out in unnecessary grandeur. "They hadn't frozen all the way, though Lance and I did have to peel Remus off the ground. His arse might fall off yet. We're not in the clear." Lance looked around the room and when he didn't see Dory, he excused himself and went back into the hall.

"Add some wood to the fire, Remus." James ordered, not turning at all to meet Remus's gaze.

"I've got it." Sirius said, seeing the look on Remus's face and wanting to keep the peace.

"I told Re-"

"What does it matter who puts what on the fire?" Arden asked, still not sure what James was angry about, but did not want another fight to break out.

"James is trying to make a power move." Dory said, entering the room with Lance. "Is there a reason I wasn't woken with the rest of your guard?"

"Well, you not being a member of the guard could have something to do with it." Amos said. Dory opened her mouth to shout at him most likely, but Sirius was faster.

"Let's just focus on the problem at hand. We have a town full of people who hate James, the prat who we're all charged with protecting, and we have no idea what they're going to do." Sirius said, picking up a couple of logs and tossing them on the flames. The fire spit and eagerly wrapped itself around the new wood.

"That scrawny man has to be involved somehow." Arden nodded, taking another large bite of his chicken. Sirius reached out and took a chunk of meat for himself and nodded at Arden's statement.

"What scrawny man?" Lance asked, taking a seat on the floor, Dory followed in suit and then put her hand on Lance's knee. He in turn put a hand on top of hers. "The one who was with Dolohov?"

James looked up at Remus, "He overheard some sensitive information."

"When?" Fabian asked, letting out a large yawn. Gideon jabbed him in the gut, and Fabian sat up straighter, shaking his head.

"When James, Sirius and I were talking in the stairwell." Remus said, refusing to break eye contact with James.

"Well, what is it? What do they know?" Amos asked.

Remus held his breath as he saw James look away, and open his mouth. "He heard us talking about my father. He knows that he is ill." Remus let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes.

"That's what you were talking about?" Arden laughed. "What the hell did you kick Remus and Lance out for?"

"That's none of your business." James sighed, pushing his glasses up his face and rubbing his eyes. "Look, we need to create a plan."

"We have no idea what they're planning." Amos said. "How are we supposed to make a plan when we know only one of the variables?"

"I didn't say that it was going to be easy." James muttered. "But just because it's difficult doesn't mean we should all just call it quits and go to sleep."

"Alright, what's the plan then?"

* * *

 **AN: Reviews are too cool for school.**


	14. Rising Tensions

**_Being aware of your fear is smart. Overcoming it is the mark of a successful person._**

 _Seth Godin_

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen: Rising Tensions**

Arden and Sirius walked side by side down main street, just as the sun was beginning shine over the peaks of the mountains. They still had their gear with them, but they were not wearing their armor. Instead, they were wearing large, thick coats and wool hats that Emmaline had loaned them. They were heading to the market place.

"This is a good plan." Arden said, snuggling into his coat. "This is a good, warm plan. I hate armor."

"I feel like this should be the new armor." Sirius agreed, pulling his hat down a bit farther and enjoying the fact that he could still feel his ears. "The last few days I've been more worried about freezing to death than being impaled by another man's sword. I don't think that's ever been the case before now."

"I don't think a sword could get through this." Arden pulled his coat out and inspected it. "It's pretty thick. What do you think it's made of?"

"Dragon." Sirius said solemnly. Arden laughed.

"Right. The last known dragon sighting was almost a century ago and we're wearing it's hide to keep warm."

"So you're saying that it's not impossible?"

"That's not what I'm saying." Arden shook his head, still smiling. "Do you think this is going to work?"

"It's the best we've got." Sirius shrugged. They market came into view and the venders were just starting to get their products set up. "And it's not a horrible plan."

"I know." Arden sighed. "It would be better if we weren't all sleep deprived and almost entirely in the dark about what the townsmen have planned."

"We know that they're going to do something." Sirius shrugged. "That's better than thinking that everything is going to go smoothly only to have our arses handed to us. This way, when our arses are handed to us, we'll be expecting it. We can act slightly dignified still." Arden rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Honestly, I'd rather not know. I feel like people are going to jump out at us at any moment." He looked down an alley. "Or, thanks to Dory, I keep imagining being mauled by an army of rabbits."

"That's a possibility." Sirius shrugged. "A massive army of adorable rabbits will maul us to death."

"I know that you're joking right now, but you're doing nothing to calm my nerves."

"That's not my job, mate." Sirius laughed. "Besides, we're going out to see what people know. We're doing what we can to find out information. I'm sure there will be very few, if any, rabbits involved." Arden still wasn't pleased, but there was nothing else Sirius could say, he wasn't entirely comfortable with the plan either. He was good at improvising, but he had never been a part of a team before, he had never had to work together with others to survive. A large part of him wanted to bolt, to get on a horse and run like he had been doing for years. He couldn't though, he couldn't leave Remus or James or even Arden.

Once they reached the market, they came upon a very short man, no taller than three feet, setting up a cart of books. Sirius tried to read a few of the titles, but they all seemed to be in a language that he wasn't familiar with. He seemed like a good place to start. "Excuse me, sir?" He stopped Arden with a tap on the arm and then nodded towards the short man.

"My name is Flitwick. Can I help you with something, lads?" The man asked, his voice a higher octave than any man that Sirius had ever met, and he had a beard that was the size of his torso. "People don't normally come around this early." He eyed them both suspiciously.

"We're looking for a man named Dolohov." Sirius said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Flitwick instantly tensed when he heard his name. He started fiddling with the books on his cart. "What business do you have with a man like that?"

"What do you mean?" Arden asked. "What has he done?"

Flitwick looked over his shoulder and then pulled the collar of his coat up a bit higher. "Well, for starters he intimidates everyone in town who doesn't agree with him, starts fights with anyone who tries to move here… He's just a load of trouble and I wouldn't get mixed up with him if I were you."

"Thanks for the advice." Sirius said, giving Flitwick a smile. "But we're knights of Camelot." He pulled open his coat to reveal the Potter coat of arms on his vest.

"Knights?" Flitwick asked, taking a step back and clenching his fists at his side. "While I'll be…" He shook his head and then readjusted his glasses.

"Yes, knights." Arden nodded. "You wouldn't happen to know who asked us to come out here would you? Or why we were asked out here?"

"I haven't a clue as to who asked you out here, but I wouldn't go around telling just anyone who you are. There are a lot of people in this town that would love to see some of _your_ heads falling for a change." His voice took on a slight edge when he said this. Then he sighed and his shoulders dropped. "Of course, fighting fire with fire has never really done any good. I suppose it's what got us into this mess in the first place."

"What are you-"

"I know that we're not very popular." Sirius interrupted Arden, not knowing how the knight would respond if Sirius was right and Flitwick did have magic. Flitwick cast a curious look at Sirius, but Sirius ignored it and tried to get back on task. The others were waiting for them. "But we rode in yesterday and everyone already knows that we're here. Prince James is with us."

"Oh dear." Flitwick put a hand over his mouth and went back to shaking his head. "Prince James? I knew his mother, before she was queen. She lived here, you know. Her and her family had a cottage just past the church." He nodded towards a white stone building not far from where they were standing.

"James' mum lived here?"

Flitwick smiled at him. "She didn't have magic if that's what you're wondering. She was a sweet girl though. Elizabeth Dearborn."

"Do you have any idea what Dolohov could have planned?" Arden asked, not too interested in the late queen. Sirius shook his head and tried to get back on task. Though he tucked away this new bit of information for later, he was sure that James would want to know more about his mum.

Flitwick thought for a moment and then shook his head. "I'm just a school teacher, and I spend my time avoiding men like Dolohov. Maybe you should talk to the Crouches. Barty is the town judge. He might now something, and he's a good man. He'd be more than willing to help you boys out."

They thanked Flitwick and then headed for the courthouse. Flitwick told them they might have to wait a while for Barty to get there, but when they arrived the doors were unlocked and a fire had already been started. There was shouting going on in the room just to the right of the hallway they had entered.

"You can't just sit back and do nothing!" Someone was shouting. "You have to pick a side, there isn't time for you to be impassive any longer."

"I'm not impassive, and I've made my views on your new friend very clear. There is a right and a wrong way to gain our freedom, and killing people to get what you want is never the right way."

"You're weak."

"You're naïve. If you are following this man thinking that he is going to protect you, that he somehow values your life when he carelessly tosses aside the lives of others, then you are naïve and ignorant. Tom Riddle is a power hungry man who's only goal is to-"

"Do not speak that name. He is Lord Voldemort, or the Dark Lord. He is a great man and he deserves our respect." Sirius's blood had run cold upon mention of Tom's name. He had not heard anyone mention Tom Riddle in close to six years, not since the death of his brother. Arden must have noticed a shift in his demeanor because the knight reached out for Sirius's shoulder and gave him a look. Sirius shook him off and charged into the room.

"That's who's behind all of this? Tom Riddle?" Both men in the room froze and looked at him with wide eyes. One man, the older one, was seated at a large desk, a pair of glasses resting on his long, thin nose and a large, thick mustache sat quivering over his top lip. The second man, who Sirius guessed was his son, looked just as his father did, but without the mustache or glasses.

"I think you should leave, son." The man behind the desk said, sitting up straight and readjusting his glasses.

"Perhaps." He went to move towards the door and that's when Arden walked in, looking much burlier than normal thanks to the thick coat he was wearing.

"Let him pass." The man behind the desk waved his hand and Arden stepped aside.

"Who's Tom?" Arden asked as he stepped up next to Sirius.

"Where is he?" Sirius asked, leaning down over the desk. "Where is Tom?"

"I'm terribly sorry about this," The man said, standing up. "But I have to protect my son, even if he is a bit… well, I'm sorry." He waved his hand in Sirius and Arden's direction and Sirius felt as though his mind was being clouded over. He didn't understand the word that the man spoke, but when the fog cleared from his mind her shook his head and looked up at him. He was smiling brightly.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?"

Sirius hesitated, "Flitwick," He said slowly. "Flitwick said that Barty Crouch could help us."

"Well, I'm Barty Crouch." Barty held out his hand and Sirius reached for it. "What did he say I could help you with?"

"We're looking for Dolohov." Arden supplied. Sirius looked over at him, but he didn't look confused. Sirius felt as though they had been here for a while, but he remembered only walking in.

"Antonin Dolohov? Why would you be looking for him? He's nothing but trouble."

"So we've heard." Sirius said, trying to shake the strange feeling he had. "We're kn-"

"We just need to talk to him." Arden interrupted. Sirius was glad that he did, he hadn't been paying attention to what he was saying and he couldn't decide if this man was trustworthy or not.

"Well, he's probably around town somewhere. I'd tell you to check his house, but that's half a day's ride south and since the Prince is in town, I'm sure he spent the night here. I'm afraid all I can do is guess though."

"He's leading the charge against the prince, yes?" Arden asked. "We were hoping to be around when that happens." Barty sighed and sat back in his chair.

"Yes, well, he's not the only one who's ready to stand up to the prince." He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "I've been up all night talking with one person after the next. They'd prefer dealing with the king, but of course he sent his son and… You boys aren't from around here, are you?"

"My family is from Lorkeep." Sirius said, hoping that this insinuated what the man was trying to find out. "I grew up with the king's ward actually." He added for safe measure.

"So you've come here to seek vengeance then? Or maybe just to watch it. The prince is innocent of any crimes as of now. But those in town with magic… some of them can't see reason. And I understand some of them, they've lost children, or parents, or siblings to the king's crusade."

"How many people are there in town with magic?" Arden asked, luckily saying the word as though it wasn't normally spat out of his mouth.

"Is there really as many as they say?" Sirius added.

"Well," Barty looked up towards the ceiling and thought for a moment. "Just about everyone I'd say."

"Everyone?" Both knights whispered, turning to look at each other quickly.

"A few squibs of course, or muggle parents but yes, and while most of them are ready for some sort of fight, only a small few want the prince to pay for his father's mistakes. I hope you two aren't among them."

"No." Arden said quickly.

"Good. The Hollows has been a safe place for people with magic for a very long time. And you two are welcomed as long as you don't start stirring up trouble. If you head down the road a bit to Mundungus Fletcher, he can show you around town. Make sure you watch your coins around that one though. Bit of a- Well, he's a thief." He then excused himself, saying he had to get to work and left the knights with more questions than answers.

oOoOo

"Are you going to be angry with me forever?" Remus asked, following James as the prince led him down the staircase of the tavern. The main room was empty now, closed for the day after Tom was given a large sum of money.

Arden and Amos stood around a table near the fireplace, a goblet in Arden's hand. Arden had just returned with Sirius and Amos had returned from his own walk around the town.

"It's a bit early for that, don't you think?" James asked loudly, ignoring Remus's question.

"You don't know what we just learned." Amos said, picking up a goblet himself and taking a large swig. "Do you know what this town is known for?" He asked the prince, putting one hand on his hip. "Do you have any clue what we've just walked into?"

"What did you find out?" James asked, eyes narrowing.

"Godric's Hollow is a safe haven for people with magic." Sirius answered, walking into the tavern with a grimace on his face. "It's a bloody safe haven for people who have magic."

"How is that possible?" Remus asked, looking between Arden and Sirius. "How did we not know that?"

"What do you mean a safe haven?" James asked.

"The people here live by a different set of rules." Arden said. "Sirius and I talked to the town judge, Barty Crouch. He told us that nearly everyone in town has magic and that they're all prepared to fight against us if it should come to that."

"What?" James was paling. "I mean, I knew that the people here were more lenient when it came to magic, and that the whole town is pretty lawless-"

"No." Sirius interrupted. "That's not true. The town is actually extremely safe. The last murder committed in Godric's Hollow was by your father. These people are extremely displeased with the current king. This town is like a kingdom all its own. They even have a school set up where children can go to learn to use their magic."

"They all have magic?" James asked quietly.

"No. Just most of them." Arden said. "Barty couldn't seem to think of anyone who didn't have magic actually."

"I went to the blacksmith's like you asked, and there were hardly any weapons in the shop at all. One sword that couldn't hold its own against the worst steel back home and an axe."

"I don't think that's as important-"

"There were however, a great number of iron pots." Amos interrupted. "The blacksmith called them _cauldrons_."

Lance and Dory walked through the door and James turned to Dory. "What did Hestia have to say?" He asked, not giving them time to walk into the building or get settled at all. Sending them to talk to Mary's cousin had seemed like a good idea because she would more than likely be friendly towards Dory and Lance, but now she seemed like an even more useful person to talk to.

"She didn't have much to say." Dory sighed, pulling her scarf off and running her fingers through her hair. "She tends to avoid Antonin and his men. She did say that there had been quite a few-"

"Does she have magic?" James cut her off. "I need to talk to someone who has magic." Dory looked over James' shoulder and locked eyes with Remus, looking at him as though he would know how she was supposed to answer that question. Remus shrugged and Dory looked back at the prince. "Before you tell me that she doesn't have magic, I now have very strong reason to believe that if you don't have magic, you wouldn't have much reason to live in this town."

Dory still looked uncomfortable and Lance stepped forward. "Why do you need to talk to someone with magic?"

"They will be able to explain to me what is going on."

"The people here are angry, that's what's going on." Dory said. "And it's not my place to tell another's secrets."

"They're angry, fine, but _why_ are they so angry? What are they planning-"

"We're angry because your father keeps going around and chopping off our heads!" Dory shrieked. All eyes were on her in a very brief amount of time. James' mouth was still open, his words frozen in his throat. "Do you have any idea what it's like to live your life in constant fear? What it's like to have to hide who you are because it could get you killed? My family disowned me when they found out I had magic, and that's better than most. People's families turn them into the crown and watch them bleed dry or kill them themselves to spare their name the embarrassment.

We're angry because we're forced to live in the woods, or in secret in this wretched town. We're angry because none of us truly know how to practice magic because we're all too afraid to learn. We're angry because our grandparents tell us stories about how it used to be and we envy them." She pursed her lips and shook her head. "We want what all your people want, your highness. We want to be safe."

oOoOo

Mary MacDonald was a witch, but she was more than that. She was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and that was what she was most proud of. Of course, you couldn't very well be a member without being a witch, but still, she had been accepted into the Order and that always put a smile on her face.

The number of people in the Order seemed to be growing as of late; the addition of her cousins Hestia and Gwenog Jones gave her more reason to be proud. She was _technically_ a Muggle-born witch, because while her mother was a muggle, her father was a true Muggle-born, born of two muggles; It was pure coincidence that her mother's sister happened to be a Muggle-born, though maybe not much of coincidence when she thought about it. Her parents had grown up next door to one another on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. Being a Muggle-born witch, she always felt the need to prove herself in a way that her cousins did not understand. And even Dory didn't fully understand it, because her circumstances were different still. Being a member of the Order, a member that had relatives in the Order, that made her feel as though she was actually rooted into the magical community.

Lately however, Mary had been woefully out of the loop when it came to updates and information regarding the Order or the magical community. She hadn't received any word from anyone in a few weeks now. Dory hadn't seemed to think much of it, so concerned was she with Marlene and the knights and Sirius. Mary had tried to remind her that they hadn't joined up with Lance in order to groom a new knight for Camelot, but Dory wouldn't listen.

It didn't help her feelings of unease that there didn't seem to be any other people with magic in all of Camelot.

Mary knew that this had to be untrue, that of course there were witches and wizards in a city this large, but none of them were making themselves known as most of their kind did in other cities. There were no elm wood twigs laying on the windowsill or lone moly flowers placed on the door. There wasn't even a black market as far as Mary could tell, and she had looked for one.

With no way to contact her world, and with her friends off on a witch hunt with the prince, Mary had been forced to find a new friend in Lily Evans, a blacksmith's daughter, who was _entirely_ muggle.

"I keep looking for him." Lily said, shaking her head after looking out her window for about the dozen-th time that day. Mary was sitting on Lily's bed, watching her chop ingredients for a vegetable soup.

"They've only been gone a few days, Lily." Mary said, running her fingers over the tattered quilt that just barely managed to cover the wooden frame. She was still shocked at how poor Lily and her family were.

"Remus and I have been spending nearly all our time together since he moved here though." Lily said, pushing her hair out of her face. She was wearing it down today, which was different than usual.

"And I lived with Lance and Dory in the woods for months before we came here. It's still only been a few days."

"So you don't miss them?" Lily quirked her brow and stuck Mary with a look.

"Of course I do, but I'm not looking out the window for them to magically appear." She noticed the tension in Lily's jaw that wasn't there a moment ago and refrained from rolling her eyes, even when she saw Lily's eyes dart back to the window.

"Is any word relating to magic illegal as well?" Mary asked, pushing herself off the bed and walking over to the fireplace.

"I just wish you would be more cautious." Lily sighed. Mary reached over and grabbed the end of a carrot that Lily was cutting and took a bite off the end. Lily picked up another carrot from her pile and didn't say anything about it.

"You worry too much."

"And you don't worry enough."

"Maybe not, but I'm not a ball of pent up anger and aggression."

"And I'm not going to have my head chopped off." For a few moments, the only sound that filled the small room was that of the knife hitting the chopping board. Mary took another bite of her carrot and then Lily cleared her throat.

"That's the way to go though, isn't it?"

"Excuse me?" Lily turned to look at Mary as though she was mad.

"Well, if you have to go somehow, getting your head sliced off is quick, painless and really dramatic. I'm only saying that if I was going to be killed somehow, I would want to be beheaded."

Lily sighed and deflated a bit as she did. "Please don't do anything that will get you killed. I quite like having more than one friend."

"Again, you worry too much." She set the carrot down and pursed her lips. "Though, I feel like there are things that you're not telling me."

Lily looked up and raised her brows. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you seem like you're extremely on edge, and no one is this on edge without a reason." Mary crossed her arms over her chest. "What's your reason?" Lily set the knife down and turned to face Mary.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She shrugged. "I've told you before that I've seen what happens to people in the castle when they aren't careful-"

"Bullshite." Mary interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

"I said 'bullshite' and I'll say it again if you need me to." Mary cocked her head to the side. "I've always had a knack for knowing when people were lying to me, and while I've been letting you get away with it for the last few days that we've been friends-"

"I'm not lying to you. I've had friends up at the castle that-"

"Don't interrupt me." Mary shook her head and shifted from one foot to the other.

"Don't interrupt me." Lily said, now crossing her arms over her chest as well. Her voice got a bit louder and a bit firmer. "I shouldn't need to have some big secret causing me to want to keep you safe. I've always been good at worrying, and if I'm friends with you, I'm going to worry about you, you can ask Remus when he gets back. I know that you don't like most of the things that our king does, and that you disagree with how he handles things, but you can't say some of the things that you say! You can't speak about our king like that or someone is going to hear you, accuse you of possessing magic and then you're going to be killed for it! All it takes is the word of one peeved passerby, and your life will be ended, Mary. I don't want that to happen, so until you learn to hold your tongue, I'm going to continue to worry about you."

Mary thought about dropping it for a moment; letting Lily keep whatever secrets she was keeping, but she couldn't do it. The prince was teaching her to read, Lady Bellatrix had fired her, and she spent about as much time with the knights as Mary did. And she never talked about these things. "That's fine. You can worry about me enough for the both of us, but trust me when I say that I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." Lily rolled her eyes and turned back to her vegetables. "Why did you get fired?" She saw the tension come back to Lily's jaw. She straightened up a bit more and ran her finger along the hilt of the knife. "You can preach about how just living in this city has made you into a worrier, but if I got fired from a job that I'd had for five or six years, I would want to talk- shout about it actually. Bash my employer a bit maybe."

Lily was quiet for a moment. She chopped up the rest of the carrot she had been working on and the scooped up the pieces, dropping them into the pot. "I did something that I shouldn't have."

"Just vague enough to be true." Mary allowed. "What did you do?"

Lily set down her knife again and wiped her hands on her dress. This time when she looked at Mary, it looked as though she really did want to tell her everything. She glanced out the window again and sighed. "I'm really not the person that you think I am." She said quietly.

Mary looked her over for a few seconds and then made up her mind. "Let's go to Hagrid's. He's out all day with that heard of deer he's adopted, so we'll have privacy there."

"I've got to finish dinner-"

"Your sister can do it." Mary said. She had only met Lily's older sister once and she didn't much care for the girl at all. She took hold of Lily's hand and walked them out into the street. Petunia Evans was seated in the shade of their small house, working on some needlepoint project with her friend Yvette. Mary looked at Lily and Lily sighed.

"Petunia, I need you to finish dinner for me. I've already chopped most of the vegetables."

"I'm busy, Lily." Petunia said without looking up from her project.

"You look very busy." Mary muttered.

"Where did we get vegetables from anyhow? I didn't know that we could afford that. Especially now that you've gotten yourself fired." Yvette tittered and Petunia smirked. Lily went red, and Mary was finding it extremely tempting to use her magic right about now. Unfortunately, the only spell she could think of at the moment was one that would turn Petunia into a frog and she thought that using that spell might show her hand.

"Hagrid's." Lily said through clenched teeth. "And I'm going back to get some more right now, so I need you to finish dinner for me."

"Yes, alright." Petunia gave a dramatic sigh, as though she had just agreed to something much more important than finishing dinner. "I suppose I have time to finish your job."

"Thank you." Mary didn't wait for the sisters to exchange anything else and instead started pulling Lily down the road and towards Hagrid's hut.

When they had finally reached the ground's keeper's property, Mary took a seat on the front steps and Lily took a seat beside her. "What happened?" Mary asked.

"I followed Bellatrix on a ride one afternoon when she told me that I couldn't tell anyone that she was leaving the castle. She doesn't know this, but the things that I found out..."

Mary thought about everything that she knew about Bellatrix and her family, the house of Black. Bella's family had had magic, her father and both of her sisters, but the king taking in Bella had made everyone quite sure that the youngest of the Black sisters didn't possess any magic of her own. "She's a witch?" Mary guessed.

Lily nodded and started ringing her hands together. "That's not the worst of it though." She said quietly. "Both of her sisters are still alive." Mary couldn't say that she was surprised to hear this. Killing an entire family of witches and wizards wasn't the easiest task, especially if the one doing it didn't have any magic. "Not that her family being alive is a bad thing. But she was talking with her sister and I overheard her saying that…" She took a deep breath and Mary suppressed the urge to shake her. "She was talking to her sister and- she does magic in the castle. She says that she can't help herself because it's a part of who she is, but when she gets caught, she blames other people and lets them die for her carelessness."

Mary kept waiting for Lily to condemn magic, or blame Bella's misgivings on her magic, but she didn't do that. She was clearly frightened of Bella, but Mary couldn't honestly say that she wasn't frightened just a wee bit. Maybe Lily had been right in saying that Mary had misjudged her. Lily hadn't seemed to want to talk a whole lot about the king, or the unjust laws in Camelot, but that didn't mean that she was ignorant or naive. It didn't mean that she wasn't angry, just unwilling to die or get her family into trouble.

"And I was there, Mary! I remember there being strange things happening that no one could explain, and I remember ignoring it until someone else pointed it out. I remember the king being summoned and someone being called a sorcerer. I even remember _Bellatrix_ pointing out the bits of magic at times. She pointed out her own magic so that someone else would die for it." Mary flinched at this. "I mean, if you need to do magic, fine. Obviously, I don't understand what it's like to have magic, but I don't think it requires you to be a psychopath."

"Cheers to that." Mary muttered, running a hand through her hair.

"And the worst of it all-"

"Worse than-"

"Yes, worse than everything I just told you. She tried to kill the king." Lily looked up at the sky and bit her upper lip. Mary openly blanched at this piece of information.

"Holy shite." She said. "Holy _shite._ " She repeated. "What do you mean she tried to kill the king!"

"She poisoned him. When he was sick, it was because of her. You and Dory and Marlene were joking about Bella having been behind it, and I got upset with you because I didn't want to believe it, but she was behind it. She tried to kill him!" She shook her head and sighed. "Though maybe that's not worse than having innocent people killed. At least the king-" She shook her head again.

"He deserves it." Mary finished for her. "He really does. But Bella tried to do it! Magic or no magic, he adopted her into his family."

"He also killed her family though." Mary gave a sharp nod and extended her pointer finger.

"That is a very good point. So it was some type of revenge plan?"

"That's what it sounded like."

"Is she going to try again?"

"Yes." Lily nodded.

"We have to do something." Mary said, jumping to her feet. "If Bella kills King Charles, that will only give James a reason to hate magic and then what? He's going to go around and chop off everyone's head and that will put us all in the same situation that we're in right now."

"You think magic should be legal?" Lily asked.

"You don't?" Mary flipped the question around to her. "Do you like living how we are now? Where we have to always look over our shoulder and watch what we say for fear of pissing someone off, being called a witch and losing our head for it?"

"Magic can be dangerous; it wouldn't be illegal if that wasn't true. It is the reason the queen died after all." Mary all but rolled her eyes at that.

"The queen died because her and the king didn't follow the rules. You can't make something out of nothing, that's fairly common knowledge. They wanted a son, they used magic to create a life, so a life had to be taken in its place. Should the witch have explained herself a bit more? Sure, but it was their king and queens fault when you stop and think about it."

Lily looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. "Well, if magic were to be made legal, there should be laws to regulate it."

"There already are." She muttered, unable to stop the eye roll this time. Then she looked at Lily and realized what she had just said. "Or so I'd assume."

"Right." Lily nodded. "I don't really want to know, okay? I've got enough things I'm not allowed to tell anyone right now." She pushed her hair back and Mary returned to her spot on the step. "Remus was with me when I overheard her telling her sister all of this, and then he reacted similar to you. Convinced me that I needed to tell James, but when I did tell James… Well you can imagine how upsetting it would be to hear that your sister tried to kill your father with magic that she uses to hurt others."

"If Bella is trying to kill the king and the prince knows about it, then why is he off who knows where, instead of protecting his dad?"

"His dad is the one that sent him off." Lily said. "I haven't been to the castle in a few days, but I can imagine that the king is being heavily guarded at the moment."

Mary nodded. "You still didn't tell me why Bella fired you. Obviously if she knew that you knew any of that… she'd have done worse than fire you."

"James asked her to fire me." Lily said with a grin. "He told me it was too dangerous for me to continue working for her and fired me. Got a nice severance deal out of it though."

"Him teaching you to read is a sev-"

"No. He gave me gold. Him teaching me to read is just-"

"Him fancying you." Mary nodded.

"He doesn't fancy me anymore. You'd think I wouldn't have to say that in the middle of this serious conversation that we're having."

"I think we're about at the end of it. Unless there's more?"

"Not really. I keep waiting to get news about Bella disappearing or the king dying or something else equally as frightening."

"Well, until then…" Mary trailed off. She really hoped that the prince got back soon.

oOoOo

Bella had decided that she needed to do this before James returned. She needed to poison the king, before James came back and she had to look into his eyes and see how much she was hurting him by doing this. Out of all the mistakes she made the first time around, having James around was up there at the top.

She had asked Alice to dress her this morning in a simple, yet beautiful gown the color of pink roses and had wrestled with her hair until it lay flat and neat. Her shoes were small and pinched her toes, her cheeks were tinted red and she smelled of apple blossoms.

She was going to visit the king today.

She had prepared a tray of tea in her room and emptied the vial that Voldemort had given her into one of the cups. She delicately picked up the tray, checked her reflection in the mirror once more, and then headed toward the king's chambers.

The walk wasn't a long one and once she was there, she knocked on the door only to be answered by one of the king's guardsmen. Kingsley Shacklebolt was a very intimidating man, and Bella had never been able to relax around him. She had the feeling that he could tell what she was thinking, or what she had done in the past. His eyes were dark and looked as though they had seen more than his young age would suggest. The king had appointed him to head of his personal guard when he was only seventeen, and Bella had never heard the story of what he had done to get the job.

"I'm here to see, King Charles." She said politely, giving the man a smile. He looked down at her tea tray and then back at her.

"You may enter." He said, his voice was deep and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. He stepped aside and Bella entered the chambers. The king was seated at the head of a long table directly across from the door. There were papers scattered all over, maps, letters, proposals and what not. He was hunched over one particular document and hadn't seemed to notice that she had entered.

"Good morning, my lord." She said, walking up beside him and setting her tray on top of many papers. The king looked up, surprised to see her and then beamed. He stood up and opened his arms.

"Bellatrix." He said softly, enveloping her in a hug. She smiled as she breathed in the scent of peppermint and tea, hoping that it was the last time that she would be forced to hug the man that had taken everything from her.

"I'm made you some tea. I hope you're not too busy for a chat with your ward."

"I'm never too busy for you, and you know that you are more than a ward to me. You're like the daughter I never had." Bella pressed her lips together in a grin and then pushed the teacup laced with an unknown potion towards the king.

"And I've grown to think of you as a father." She said, looking down at her own teacup. She didn't think that she would be able to tell that lie to his face if she was forced to look at him while she did it. "Which is why I worry about how hard you've been working lately."

"You have nothing to worry about my dear." He reached over and placed a hand on Bella's arm. "I'm fine."

"You almost died." She said, looking him in the eyes. He looked weak, and she relished in it. Whatever Voldemort had given her would work quickly on this old man.

"But I did not." He took his hand away and Bella noticed that it was shaking slightly. "What have you been up too lately?" He asked, picking up the parchment that he had been looking at and setting it aside.

"Worrying about James." Bella said. "I didn't know you had sent him to Godric's Hollow until the feast the other day. Why didn't you send more men with him?"

"That would have made it seem like the town had done something wrong." The king said. "And the town shouldn't be punished for the lawless acts of a few."

"Lawless acts?" Bella asked.

The king nodded. "Lord Yaxley, for all the grief he gives me, rode through the town the other day and witnessed some unsavory acts of magic." Bella couldn't help but chuckle at this and when the king gave her a questioning look, she shook her head.

"Unsavory acts of magic?" She raised her brow. "Aren't all acts of magic unsavory?"

The king smiled at her and nodded. "I'm not a fool, Bella. I know that many of the people who live in Godric's Hollow used to practice magic before it was outlawed. And I don't normally send knights out to the town whenever I hear about someone… slipping up. But what Yaxley told me… well, I couldn't ignore that."

"You know that there's a town where magic is practiced and you don't do anything about it?"

"Magic is dangerous." The king said softly. "And not just anyone should be allowed to practice it. But it does have its uses, I would be a fool to say otherwise."

Bella narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "But you- You killed my family for having magic."

"I attempted to execute your father for murdering people he deemed of 'lesser blood'."

"Lesser blood?"

The king sighed. "I knew you were going to ask questions one day, so I made sure that I had all the information that I would need to answer them." He turned and looked at Kingsley. "You may leave us." He said. Kingsley nodded and then motioned for the two other guards in the room to follow him to the corridor.

Charles took a deep breath and looked down at the table. "You have to understand that I didn't outlaw magic simply because of what happened to James' mother. People seem to think that I'm an irrational man when it comes to magic, but I'm not. What happened to Elizabeth was… it was simply that last straw."

"What else happened?" Bella asked, finding that she was curious despite herself.

"Magic was everywhere," He smiled. "And for the most part, it was good. People used magic to heal injuries and build homes, put out fires, and protect crops… but not everyone- it's complicated, but a lot of it has to do with blood.

"There were men and women like your father, who were called Purebloods. This meant that they came from parents who both had magical blood, their blood wasn't _tainted_ by people who didn't have magic. They believed that if you came from parents without magic, then you wouldn't be as powerful or that you didn't have a right to practice magic, you were called a Muggle-born, muggles being people like me. People without magic. Your mother, was neither a Pureblood nor a Muggle-born, which made her a half-blood."

"One parent with magic." Bella said, old conversations with her parents resurfacing as the king spoke. Her father had been extremely proud of the fact that he was a Pureblood, an ancient Pureblood. "I remember."

"Of course you do." The king smiled sadly. "I sometimes think that you've been here longer than you have. You were hardly a child when you came to live with James and myself. Do you remember, or maybe I should ask were you aware of the things that your father used his magic for?" Bella bit her lip and thought about his question. She didn't often think about her family, usually feeling nothing but rage and contempt when she did, but she allowed her mind to sift through her memories until it found her father. He had been a harsh man, who didn't believe in fun and games. She had been expected to do school work from sunrise until midafternoon, and then she spent the remainder of the day with her mother, making house calls and doing needlepoint.

Her father had been gone a lot, coming back home looking worn and angry. His clothes were sometimes torn, his eyes always shadowed. Bella remembered being frightened of him most days, but she couldn't remember if she had a reason or if it was just a feeling she got when she looked at him.

"There was a boy staying with us once," Bella said, speaking as the memory came to her. "A stable hand or something. I called him into the house one day, and he wasn't supposed to be there, but he came because I had asked him to help me," Her voice got thick and she started speaking faster. "He wasn't supposed to be there, father kept shouting it over and over. The boy's hair burst to flames, but he kept shouting at him." Bella looked up at the king. "It was my fault. The boy was my friend."

"It was not your fault." The king said softly, putting a hand on Bella's arm again. He squeezed comfortingly, and for the first time since Bella found out her sisters were still alive, she felt something other than hatred towards the old man. "Cygnus Black was a powerful and corrupt man. He didn't follow anyone's laws, mine or the laws of magic.

I thought that outlawing magic of all kinds would put an end to the reign of terror that people like Cygnus were putting people through. People think I'm irrational, but we can't go back to how it was before."

"But you've been so caviler about it lately!" Bella said, pulling her arm away and standing up from the table. "If you even have the slightest of suspicions you chop off people's heads! That's not right!"

"Maybe not," The king allowed, standing from his chair. "But I've heard whispers, and I'm afraid that I've let my fear get the best of me. These men… if they came back now, they'd come back for my throne, for my son's blood, for vengeance and power. I can't put the people of Camelot through that. I can't make them pay for the things that I did. No matter what my intentions, the outcome has been more bloody than anticipated. I know that I've spilt both innocent and guilty blood, and while one would think it would be more dangerous to spill innocent blood- Well, some of these sorcerers don't give two wits about people who don't have magic." He finally reached for his tea and Bella was suddenly terrified.

"Don't drink that!" She sputtered, picking up the teacup right before the king, and quickly placing it back on the tray that she had brought it in on. The king gave her a look but she just shook her head. "It's cold now, we've been talking for too long. I'll have someone brew you a fresh pot."

"Are you leaving?"

"You've given me a lot to think about." She muttered, picking up the tray and spinning around. She reached the door when she thought of one more question she'd like to ask. "What happened to my sisters? Why didn't you save them?"

"You don't remember?" The king asked, looking slightly heartbroken. Bella shook her head and steeled herself. "I tried, but your father wouldn't let me."

"What do you mean, he wouldn't let you? I thought you killed him?"

"The fire killed him."

"You carried me out of the house…" Bella said, her head aching from all the straining to remember things that she had been trying so hard to forget. "What do you mean he wouldn't let you save them?"

"Please," The king sighed, taking a few steps towards her. He stopped when Bella took a step back. "Please don't make me tell you what he said." Bella closed her eyes and then left before he could see her crying.

She ran through the corridors until she reached her room. She picked up the king's cup of tea and threw the entire cup against the wall with a scream of frustration. She watched the cup shatter into a thousand little pieces, bouncing off the wall and heading in every direction, and the dark liquid slid in streams down the wall, pooling on the floor.

One of the shards had broken off and flew towards her, slicing open her cheek.

She stood in her room, breathing heavily and bleeding for what felt like hours before Alice came in and found her.

"Ma'am?" Alice cried, seeing the blood dripping off her face. "What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

"Why is everything falling apart?" Bella asked, before collapsing into a sobbing heap at Alice's feet.

* * *

 **AN: I'm sorry. I know that it's been a month, but it's summer now, and I've written almost 10k words just today. I added around 1.5k to this chapter alone, because it was too short and then because I needed to add some more information. I'm having a lot of fun pulling Bella apart. and I promise that James will be friends with Remus again soon(ish).**

 **Reviews are amazing**


	15. Thunderbolts and Lightning

_"Be careful in the company of monsters that you don't become one."_  
 _― Cindy Gerard, Take No Prisoners_

 _"Only one thing that you can see and hear that is beautiful and frightening at the same time, and that is a thunder storm."_  
 _― R.K. Cowles_

 **Chapter Fifteen: Thunderbolts and Lightning**

 _(Very very frightening)_

Amos had drawn his sword after Dory's initial confession, but having outed herself as a witch already, Dory no longer had any reason to refrain from using her magic, and transfigured Amos's sword into a white rabbit.

Amos shouted and jumped back, dropping the rabbit, which proceeded to hop in Dory's direction. She bent over and picked it up, petting it on the head before looking back at James, who's mouth was still hanging open in shock.

Remus was more than a bit shocked himself. He couldn't work out why Dory would tell James that when she had always been so careful to keep both hers and Lancelot's secret up until now. Remus had no idea how James was going to handle this when just the night before he had reacted so volatile about, unbeknownst to Dory, a strikingly similar confession on Remus' part.

"You can either use me to your advantage, or send me way." Dory said. "Either way, let's not pretend as though you can hurt me."

"We hunt down witches on the king's orders frequently. You bleed the same as we do." Fabian growled, his fingers dancing over the hilt of his own sword.

Dory nodded her head and lifted the rabbit so she was looking at its face. Speaking in a voice that she might use to entertain a very small child, she addressed the entire room, "The difference, is that I'm not out of practice. Isn't that right?" The rabbit's nose twitched and Dory set it on the ground. She turned to James and spoke in a much more serious tone now. "I know how to use my magic, which is a lot more than most of the witches and wizards in this town. While magic isn't as strictly… controlled here as it is everywhere else in the kingdom, that doesn't mean that most of these people aren't still frightened of getting caught by a guard of the king. People don't learn how to use their gifts. I did though, and I can use it to help you if you'll let me."

"You bloody swot," Sirius said, shaking his head. Dory looked over at him and grinned. "You called off your wedding did you? Or did you turn the groom into a frog?" He laughed.

"I didn't do anything to Rabastan. But he wasn't too keen on marrying me after her found out that I was a witch. And my own parents thought it would be best for them if I left home as well." She shrugged. "Can't say that I blame them exactly."

"I'll blame them for you." Sirius walked across the bar and embraced Dory. She looked a bit surprised, as Sirius was not exactly known for being affectionate, but she returned the hug, still smiling.

On the other side of the room, James had taken a seat at one of the many empty tables in and was resting his head upon his arms. Remus looked between him and Sirius, who was still beaming at Dory, and then huffed. He walked over and took a seat next to James.

"She could really help us out." He said quietly. "I can't walk about and show everyone that I have magic, but she can. And if she does, that alone might persuade half the town that they shouldn't raise arms against you." James turned his head to the side and eyed Remus.

"I've not yet forgiven you." He muttered.

Remus sighed and ran both hands through his hair. "I know that you've had more thrown at you this last week than any one person should have to deal with, but I promise you that I'm on your side, James. You and me are mates, whether you like me right now or not."

"I don't like you right now." James said, somewhat petulant.

"I know." Remus nodded. "But you remember how we had said that this was going to be a test for you? Whatever you decide to do here, will be how people think of you as a leader." James groaned and rolled his head back so he was looking at the table. "I don't mean to put any more pressure on you, but you need to say something. And soon," He looked up at Amos, Arden, Gideon and Fabian, all of whom were eyeing Dory wearily. They didn't know what they were supposed to do about her and her ability to turn their swords into rabbits.

"What do I say to them?" James pushed himself off the table and looked at Remus. "Am I supposed to tell them that we're to ignore my father and let Dory do all the magic she wants?"

"You're supposed to get all of them out of this town without shedding any blood. There are nine of us against an entire town James, we wouldn't win that fight."

James hesitated for a moment and then looked Remus in the eye. "Is magic good?"

Remus hadn't been expecting this question, so he didn't answer right away. James raised his brow and Remus shrugged. "Magic isn't good or bad. It just is. It's the people who wield it that get to decide whether it hurts people or helps them."

"Or turns things into rabbits." James watched the white rabbit hop across his foot and then stood up. "I accept your help, Dory." He said loudly, making sure that everyone in the room could hear him. Amos blanched and looked about ready to argue with him when James continued speaking. "I recognize your courage in coming forward, and I thank you for your honestly." He turned to his knights and ran a hand through his hair. "We've been told since the day we were born that magic was something that we should fear, and so we did. We never thought about what it actually was, or what it was capable of, we only thought of it in terms of how dangerous it could be, how much pain it could inflict, or how much terror it had brought to our kingdom.

"If we are to survive today, we must open our minds to the possibility that magic is more than that. We all know Dory, she's been with us for months now, and while she has a short fuse and shouts a lot, we know that overall, she's pretty harmless." Sirius snickered and Dory elbowed him in the gut. "We've given her plenty of reason to… do something magical to us, but she hasn't. She hasn't harmed anyone of us, yet she's been capable of it since we met her-"

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I could best most of you without my magic."

"Most of us?" Sirius asked, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking his head.

"I've accepted that you're more skilled with a sword than I am." Dory said quickly and without looking at him.

"Well it's about time-"

"The point I was trying to make," James said, giving Sirius a sharp look. "Was that we need to trust that she is going to help us."

"Do you know what your father would say if he could hear you right now?" Amos asked, hands clenched at his sides.

"I'm not sure what he would say." James said, though Remus thought everyone in the room had a pretty clear idea of what Charles would say if he were here. "There was once a time when my father was not against magic, for I would not have been born without it."

"Your mum was killed because of magic." Amos said, trying to use his other parent now to persuade James away from accepting Dory's help.

"Yes," James looked at Remus, who tried to give him an encouraging smile. "But we can't condemn everyone with magic for the actions of a few."

"But sir-"

"That is my final say on the matter." James said sternly, his brow furrowing as he stared down Amos. "If you have a problem with it, you can leave you colors on the table and ride back home now." Everyone turned to watch Amos, who shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and then nodded his head.

"I will not abandon you." He said. "But I will also not pretend to agree with you judgment."

"That's fair. And you don't have to agree with it, but you are not allowed to question me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"And the rest of you? Do you wish to stay?"

"Yes, sir." Fabian and Gideon responded in unison.

"Not particularly." Arden pulled out a chair and picked up his goblet again. "But before you turn _me_ into a rabbit," He put one of his hands up while he took a sip of Butterbeer. "It has more to do with the cold than much else." Remus smiled at Arden and knew that if he was able to make a joke at a time like this, than everything was bound to be all right.

oOoOo

Severus walked slightly behind Lord Dolohov and to his left. His eldest (and only living) son, Augustin walked on his right. Behind them were Lords Rosier, Nott, and Mulciber.

He had been selected. Out of everyone in town, _he_ had been chosen. He was no longer just a servant boy with magic; he was a Death Eater.

It wasn't until the night before that Severus was let in on the entirety of the plan, at a meeting held by none other than Lord Voldemort himself. As it turned out, Antonin had been looking for him. He had been summoned to the Dolohov's drawing room as soon as he had returned to the manner.

They had discussed the plan and then Voldemort drew from his robes a long and slender wooden item that had been carefully crafted and was probably thousands of years old. Unable to contain his curiosity, he had taken a step forward and involuntarily reached for it. Before he could do anything completely foolish, he caught himself and put his hand back at his side.

"Is that a wand, my lord?" He asked quietly, ignoring the iron like hand that had clasped around his shoulder. Dolohov was mortified at his outburst.

Voldemort however, was not at all upset by his question. "It is." He said proudly, holding it up for the whole room to see. "There are only five in existence, and I own one. This wand used to belong to Salazar Slytherin. Helga Hufflepuff's wand is said to lie deep within the earth's crust, encased in molten lava by her band of Dragons after the four founders of our great kingdom had stopped seeing eye to eye. Rowena Ravenclaw's wand was destroyed by her daughter, who envied her mother's intellect and power. The wand of Godric Gryffindor is said to have been tossed into the depths of the Black lake, protected by the merpeople that live there. And the fifth wand-"

"The Elder wand." Severus interrupted. He had heard legends about the elder wand and how it allowed it's owner to cheat even death.

"Yes, the Elder wand." Voldemort nodded, giving Severus and appraising look. "That is the wand that I am after. The wand that will ensure that my rule will be absolute."

"My lord," Antonin scratched at his beard. "Isn't the Elder wand part of a children's story?"

"Yes."

"Why do you think it's real then?" Franklin Nott spoke up from his chair. He was an older man, but dedicated to Voldemort's cause, and the younger man seemed to favor him. "Aren't you wasting your time going after something from a nursery rhyme? We've got more pressing matters at hand."

"I agree, which is why I've put my search for the wand on hold for the time being. All of our efforts are being focused on gaining the sovereignty and power that we have been denied." There were mutterings of agreement around the room. Nott nodded his head and Voldemort's thin lips curled into a smile. "We have had the allure of freedom dangled in front of us for far too long! Do you agree?" He shouted, and the men in the room jumped to their feet, jabbing their fists in air. "The king has hurt too many of us," Quieter now, "Swung his axe of justice," He spit the word, "Too easily. He has ended the lives of our brothers and sisters, our children and our friends. And we deserve more than that." More cheering and Severus had joined in now, feeling his rage boil up inside of him. He had never lost anyone to the king's blade, but he was the reason his father had thrown him out. He was the reason that he wasn't allowed to see his mother any longer, the reason he had been a servant for so long when he deserved so much more.

"Tomorrow we will march into town and make Godric's Hollow a town that will strike fear into the heart of the king and all those who hear it! We will make sure that we are the strongest we can be, and we will make sure that the king's wretched son never sees a _single_ day on his father's throne!" The room erupted into applause and a discord of declarations of loyalty and promises to fight. "You are all Death Eaters now." Voldemort said, his smile still resting on his face. "Soldiers fighting for the good of our kind!"

"Please let me have the honor, my lord." Augustin Dolohov said, walking up to stand before the Dark Lord. "Please let me kill the bastard prince." Men around the room started voicing their longing to kill the prince as well, and Severus almost jumped in with them, but caught himself at the last moment. He was sure that the Dark Lord was planning on killing Prince James himself.

"I appreciate your willingness to do what needs to be done," Voldemort said quietly. "But no one is going to kill the prince tomorrow, that would do nothing for us, and only provide the king with a new martyr to poison us in the eyes of the people."

"Then what are we going to do to him, my Lord?" Nicolai Mulciber stepped forward. "We're not going to let the brat go back home unscathed are we?"

"That's exactly what we're going to do." Voldemort said, his voice now sounding oily and slick. "What is currently our greatest threat? Who has the potential to do us the most harm?" There was no answer. "Blood traitors." He said quietly, lowering his head slightly. He looked around the room, meeting everyone's eyes. "Member of the Order of the Phoenix. Mudbloods. And anyone else who claims to be apathetic about the way the king is currently treating us!" The room was silent. "Do you not agree?"

"Are you suggesting we kill our own people?"

"They are _not_ our people. They stand with the king; they might as well be working for him! And we must use this opportunity to stain the prince's reputation. To show all our people that we can't wait for the royals to change their mind about us! We will go to town tomorrow and we will cut down anyone who stands between us and the prince, anyone who thinks that our cause is not one worth fighting for, people who would chose to fight against us."

"It is necessary." Dolohov said, rubbing his chin with his palm. "If they chose to stand against us, then they have chosen the crown over their blood."

"And their deaths will be blamed on the boy." Voldemort said. "The prince will leave here with their blood all over his hands."

And now here they were, walking into town, standing united behind their cause. Severus was no longer a servant boy, but a Death Eater, and he had the mark on his arm to prove it. Voldemort hadn't given everyone the mark, only the six of them walking into town, and he was going to make sure that he did everything he could to prove to everyone that he had not been chosen on accident. He was here for a reason, and he was more than capable of the task the Dark Lord had set.

His lip curled up when he caught sight of the prince and his knights. They stood in the street, their swords already drawn, as though that was going to protect them against magic should anyone decide to teach one of them a lesson.

"Remember," Antonin said, just loud enough for them to hear. "We are not to harm the prince, or his knights. Our mission is to weed out those who sit ideally by while the king is allowed to- to take the lives of our sons."

"We're doing this for Adam, dad." Augustin said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Severus took a deep breath to steady himself. He wasn't doing this for anyone but himself.

oOoOo

Dory stood on James' right and Remus on his left. James wasn't sure how he felt standing in between two sorcerers, but he knew that the men walking towards him were sorcerers as well, and he could safely say that he trusted the one's beside him far more than he trust those across from him.

His knights were walking behind them, flanking out. Sirius behind Remus on his left and Lance behind Dory. Amos and Fabian stood at the ends of the line, one of them because he wanted to stand next to his brother and the other because he wanted to stand as far from Dory as he could. Amos was holding his sword awkwardly, as though he wasn't quite sure of it anymore. Arden was the only one of his knights who didn't appear to care one way or the other whether anyone had magic. Arden stood tall as ever, his sword drawn and a cocky look on his face. James wished he knew what Arden was really thinking, or that he could borrow some of his never-ending confidence.

"Remember," James said, loud enough for Amos and Fabian to hear him. "We cannot hurt these men under any circumstances. If we do, it will only make them angrier. We need to explain to them that we understand their grievances and that we are here to listen to them." He looked over at Dory who nodded encouragingly. "We are here as friends."

"Friends who are prepared to fight," Arden chuckled.

"Cheers to that." Sirius jabbed his sword in the air and threw an arm around Remus' shoulders. They were getting closer now and James caught sight of the man from the tavern last night. He glanced over at Remus and Sirius. They both seemed to have spotted him as well. Sirius straightened up and his grip tightened on his sword. Remus's hands clenched into fists and James wondered if he was going to see Remus use his magic.

"Do you think they'll listen to us?" Gideon asked, his fingers tapping incessantly along the empty hilt where his blade normally resided. "They don't look as though they're willing to talk."

"And we have to remember that we didn't arrange this meeting. They were coming to find us, same as we were going to find them." Amos spoke up.

They were now within earshot of the men. James took a deep breath and steeled himself for the last time. "All we can do is try."

"Your majesty," Antonin Dolohov dropped into a deep, sweeping bow, and tipped off his hat. "What an honor it is to run into you on this fine morning."

"Let us not play games, Lord Dolohov." James said. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and pushed back his shoulders. "I know that you and your friends," He nodded at the men surrounding Dolohov. "Care for me very little."

One of the men laughed. "That's one way of putting it, your highness."

"And knowing what my father has done, I cannot say that I blame any of you for being cross with me. I do ask you, not as your prince, but as a friend-"

"You're no friend of ours."

"Quiet, Mulciber. Tell your men to put their swords away." Antonin said, a smile just visible beneath his whiskers. "They won't be of any help."

"That's not actually true." Dory stepped forward. "I've charmed them."

And suddenly all eyes were on her. "You've what?"

"Charmed them."

"You have magic?" Dolohov asked, no longer looking amused. He looked at James. "Your wench has magic?"

"She's n-"

"I am no one's wench, sir." Dory spat, hands on her hips.

"You allow a witch to travel with you?" Another man asked, eyeing James wearily. This seemed to throw all of them, and James could not have been more relieved.

"I fear that you believe I came here as an enemy, but that is not true. I have come to listen to you, to hear your complaints. I am not my father, and I do not plan to rule as he has when it is my turn to be king. I will not speak against him, but I will say that he has treated people of your birth," He hesitated until he saw Dory nod out of the corner of his eyes. "Unfairly."

A tall, snarling man stepped forward. His beard was dark and tangled, coming down to the middle of his chest. "You think you can just speak pretty words and all will be forgiven? You are a false prince! Your father cheated the very laws that rule us! He forced a witch into creating a new life, and then punished everyone for his own foolish mistakes! Magic has landed you in this world, and magic will take you out!" He punctuated his statement by jabbing a fist in the air and Dolohov smirked.

"Now, now, Rosier. You know what we're to do." James' lips pressed together as the man stepped back into line with the others. "We're not here to harm you, your highness."

"Not physically, anyway." The man named Nott muttered, wearing a terrible sneer of his own. James heard his knights shift into position around him, but the men across from him still seemed relaxed, not at all as though they were about to harm anyone, physically or otherwise.

Dolohov stepped away from the two groups and turned to address a small crowd of people that James had not been aware of until this point. It seemed as though everyone who had been in the street had stopped what they were doing and had turned to watch what was happening from their street carts, or their windows, but a couple dozen had walked over for a better view.

"My good people of the Hollows," He stroked his beard and came to a halt directly in front of them. "Our kind prince here has come to hear our grievances." James heard a few humorless laughs echo throughout the growing crowd. Dolohov turned to a small women standing near him. "Prince James wants to hear how his father ordered your brother's head to be sliced off." He said, reaching out and resting his hand on the girl's shoulder. "He wants to hear about how your wife," He looked at someone else in the crowd," Or your daughter, Or how my son lost their heads on _his_ father's command."

James took a deep, albeit shaky, breath and forced himself to stay standing tall. "I am truly and sincerely sorry for all the pain that-"

"He stands before us today," Dolohov was getting red in the face as he shouted over James' words. "Asking us to tell him our complaints. _Complaints_." He spit out the word and then turned to the women he still had a hand on. "Do you have any complaints for the prince? Any grievances to air about what the king's men did to your brother?"

"Do not listen to Lord Dolohov." Someone spoke up from the crowd. James eagerly looked for the person attached to the voice. A shorter man pushed his way to the front of the crowd and turned to stare down Antonin. "We all know that he's a bitter old man." He brushed his hands on his pants and then turned to James. "Dedalus Diggle, sire." He turned back to Antonin. "You have every right to be angry, my lord. But if the young prince has hopes to right his father's wrongs, then we should hear him out. This should be cause for celebration, not vengeance, which I'm sure is what you were getting at. Right?" Dolohov sneered at him and opened his mouth to speak, but someone else beat him to it.

"I'm with Diggle." Said a women standing off to the side, "Besides, look who the prince has working with him. You think Dorcas Meadows would be traveling with the prince of Camelot if he was just like his father?"

"That's two." James heard Mulciber say to Nott.

"Anyone else think we should give James Potter a chance?" Antonin asked, his voice extremely particular. A few people murmured their accent, but for the most part, the crowed stayed quiet.

"Emrus stands with the prince as well." Dory said, stepping forward. James had no idea who Emrus was, but her words seemed carry weight with the crowd. The Diggle bloke went pale and then smile hugely. Antonin blanched as well, but his expression turned into a scowl.

"Emrus is a myth." He spat. "A story passed down to children to help them sleep better at night."

"Then why do you look so rattled?" Sirius asked. James wasn't sure if he knew who Emrus was or if he was just goading the man. Either way, Antonin didn't seem to like Sirius speaking to him.

"You _dare_ speak to me?"

"Yes." Sirius nodded. He looked calm, but James noticed his knuckles whiten as he tightened his grip on his sword.

"You filthy _squib_ , you don't even deserve to-"

"Remember father," Antonin's son stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're not to harm the Prince's men."

"I'm sure we can make an exception." Antonin raised his empty hand and zeroed in on Sirius.

"No exceptions." Snape spoke up for the first time, raising his own hand. "We know what we are supposed to do today, Antonin. Let's just do it, and be done."

"The boy is right." Nott nodded. "There are other things that I need to do today. And if the girl isn't lying about Emrus-"

"Of course she's lying!" Antonin shrieked. "Emrus isn't real! There isn't some man out there who was born with the innate ability to do magic without practice, without spells! That's nonsense and you know it. A bringer of peace, pah!" He shook his head.

"Emrus is real." Dory said, crossing her arms over her chest. "And he's a lot closer than you think. Keep going off on the prince like this and you'll find out." James had forgotten about how bitterly cold it was until then, and he wasn't sure if it was Dory's threat or actual magic that made him suddenly ache to the bone. His teeth started to chatter and he had to clench his jaw to get them to stop. He looked up and saw that there were clouds moving quickly overhead, big, ugly storm clouds.

James figured it was magic when he looked back down and saw everyone on the street looking up in wonder. When the lightening started flashing a few people screamed and some ran for shelter in one of the buildings along the street.

"Are you doing this?" Lance asked Dory, but she shook her head and laughed.

"I think it's Emrus." She said, her eyes shifting ever so slightly in Remus's direction. If James hadn't known that Remus had magic, he wouldn't have caught it, wouldn't have thought anything of it if he did. But he did know, so he turned and looked at his servant boy and was startled to see that his eyes, which were locked in on the sky, looked as though they were glowing, slightly, but noticeably so.

"Stop that." James whispered harshly. Remus blinked rapidly and then looked at James. The storm continued to grow, more clouds rolling in.

"Sorry." He muttered, clenching his jaw and looking down.

"No-" James sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Your eyes," He whispered, stepping closer to Remus. "They glow."

Remus looked up at him, realizing that James was trying to help him and nodded. As James was turning back towards the crowd, he saw Remus close his eyes.

"You wish me to believe that this is Emrus?" Antonin shouted at Dory. "And not your little friends?"

"You can believe whatever you want, Dolohov." Dory shrugged, no longer crossing her arms. She now had both of her hands out, as if she were bracing herself against a physical attack. "But know that harming anyone of us right now, would be the wrong thing to do."

"Now!" Antonin shouted. Him and the five men that he had come with launched into action, but not the action that James and his knights had been prepared for. Before James knew what was happening, green light was shooting from the fingertips of Antonin and his son, both of their magic hitting Dedalus Diggle squarely in the chest. He dropped to the ground almost instantly, his body completely lifeless.

Nott had went after the girl who had spoken on James' behalf, snapping her neck before she could scream for help.

"Protego!" James felt a rush of warmth coarse through his body, and then saw a burst of gold light push it'\s way through the crowd, knocking back all six of the men who had been attacking the people.

The sky bellowed angrily as Dory marched forward, and now that they had had a moment to gather their wits, a few of the towns people mimicked her stance and holding their hands up at the men.

"You're too late." Snape said, a sly smirk pulling up the corner of his mouth.

James looked around and saw that he was right, five people lay dead on the ground.

"Where are you going?" Dory shouted after a few people who had also seen the people lying on the ground and decided that they would be safer elsewhere. "You have to stay and fight!"

"You're giving them what they want!" Another girl joined in. She had springy orange hair that was bouncing around angrily. "If you run away now- Oh damn all of you." Soon it was just Dory and this new girl standing on the street.

"Hey, Hestia." Dory sighed.

"Hey, Do."

"We're not going to hurt the two of you." Antonin said with a smile. "I think we've done enough for today."

"I agree." His son said, looking just as smug as his father. Hestia muttered something under breath and blue light jetted from her hands. It his Augustine in the chest and he flew back about a dozen feet.

"How dare you-" Antonin started.

"How dare _I?_ " Hestia shouted. "You and your friends just killed five of _our_ people, and you want to yell at me?" She put her hands up and the sky cracked again, lightening hitting the ground very close to where Antonin stood. "I can't wait until you actually meet Emrus. He's going to tear you apart." She said slowly.

"Emrus, is not real!" He shouted, which was greeted by yet another lightning bolt near his feet.

"Keep telling yourself that, mate." Dory spat.

"You cannot kill these people and get away with it!" James shouted, gripping his sword with both hands. "I am placing all of you under arrest. You will comply-"

"We will not comply to a false prince." Nott said gravely. Then, one by one, then men turned on the spot and vanished into a cloud of black smoke.

"No!" Dory screamed, stamping her foot on the ground. "No, no, no, no, no, no!"

oOoOo

News of what had happened in Camelot reached the castle before James and his knights did. Bella was still reeling from what the king had told her when she heard that five witches and wizards had been executed while the prince had been in Godric's Hollow.

She didn't want to believe it at first, but then her sister had sent her a letter confirming that the rumors were true, and she had spent the entire morning crying into her pillow.

Why was everything falling apart now? Things had finally been looking up for her, and then before she could get comfortable with any kind of victory, she had the rug pulled out from under her and was reminded that there must be something fundamentally wrong with her, because the world seemed to be doing everything in its power to make sure that she wasn't happy.

Rodolpus had been to see her quite a few times in the last couple days, but she hadn't let him come into her room. She had asked Alice to get guards posted outside her door to prevent him from coming in. She knew why he was so keen to see her. He wanted to know why she hadn't poisoned the king yet, and she didn't really want to tell him that she couldn't poison him anymore because she had thrown the poison at the wall.

The king was a bad man, she was almost sure that this was still true, he just wasn't _as bad_ a man as she had originally assumed. He hadn't killed her sisters simply because they had magic, her father had prevented the king from getting them out of the house, Bella didn't have to ask Narcissa if that were true to believe it.

She had been doing a lot of thinking lately and she was pretty sure that she remembered more of what had happened that night. By the time the king had come into the house and grabbed her, she was mostly unconscious, but she did remember her father trying to grab her away from the king, saying that he didn't want the king to touch her. She could hear the king pleading with her father, over and over again in her mind, begging him to let go of her.

 _I'd rather she died, than be saved by you._

Her father had been a proud man, but he couldn't honestly have said something like that, could he? He would have wanted Bella to live, no matter who was doing the saving. She was his daughter after all, and people generally did a great number of stupid things to keep their children alive. Her father wouldn't have tried to stop the king from pulling her out of their burning house, no matter how proud he was.

And yet, Bella wasn't so sure.

Narcissa had scars, her arms and legs were covered in them. She had told Bella that a set of heavy drapes had caught fire and fell on top of her and Andromeda before their mother threw them out the second story window. That's how they had lived. Their mother had done something stupid as the flesh melted off her bones, and thrown her two oldest daughters out the window, not knowing if it would save them, or kill them faster than the flames. They had landed near the edge of the pond that encompassed most of the land behind their house, where the ground was moist and soft. Cissy told her that they both kept rolling until they were in the pond, letting the water cool their charred skin. They had stayed there, shouting for their mother, for Bella, not knowing what had become of either one of them.

Narcissa shared everything with Bella, they were close and they had gone through a terrible tragedy together, but whenever Bella brought up their father, Narcissa, her kind and loving sister, would grow dark and angry. Bella had always assumed that it was because of the king, because of what the king had done to their family. She had never thought that it could be because of what their father had done to them.

She had been young still, only thirteen, and she didn't want to remember all the bad things, so she had only tried to keep the good things. Cissy had been older, and she must have had a harder time forgetting the bad things.

And to top it all off, she now had to work out what she was going to do with James.

She didn't want to believe that her brother was capable of this kind of violence. He had always been so quick to question their father and to raise his voice against him when he thought the king was out of line, and yet when given the chance to prove that he was different, he didn't. He returned home with the blood of five people on his hands. Five people like her.

Bella felt her eyes stinging again and pressed her palms against her eyelids.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Alice peeked her head in the doorway and offered Bella a small smile. "The king wishes you to know that the prince has returned."

Bella felt a tear slide down her cheek as she nodded at her new maid. She took a deep breath and wished that she hadn't fired Lily, especially not for James. Lily would know what to do right now to make Bella feel better, Lily had always been able to make Bella feel better.

"Was my presence requested or demanded?"

"You were asked for." Alice said, looking down. Bella knew that meant that the girl had been told to make sure that Bella made it down to the Great Hall. She took a deep breath, and steeled herself.

* * *

 **AN: How're you all doing? I'm fine, thanks for asking. I'd love it if you left me a review before you ran off though.**

 **See you in a couple weeks, my friends**


	16. Secrets and Betrayal

" _All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair."_ ― _Mitch Albom,_

 **Chapter Sixteen: Secrets and Betrayal**

Lily had never been so excited for any band of knights to return to the kingdom in her life, though that was because she had never been friends with any knights (or persons who traveled with knights) before this year. There had been many rumors about the events that had happened in the Hollows, but she refused to believe them until she heard it from James, Sirius or Remus. James wouldn't have murdered innocent people, he wasn't his father, but she was nervous just the same. The entire city seemed to be on edge, waiting for Prince James to return and tell them all what had happened and Lily was no exception.

Her and Mary sat just outside the main gates, far enough so that they were away from any crowds, waiting for everyone to get back. They weren't exactly sure when the prince and his knights were meant to be back, but a rider had rushed in early this morning and the news had spread rapidly. The girls had been out there since they caught wind of it all.

"They didn't actually kill anyone." Mary said resolutely. "Dory wouldn't let them."

"Remus wouldn't let James do anything he shouldn't." Lily said, trying to sound as confident as Mary had.

"Why? Does Remus stick up for people with magic?"

"Remus sticks up for everyone who's in the right." Lily crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her jaw out. "He's a good man."

"And he doesn't fancy you." Mary sighed, rubbing her eyes with her palms. "You need to get over him."

"I am over him. Gods, I should never have told you that I kissed him."

"You should never have kissed him in the first place." Mary countered. Lily didn't really know what to say to that, because it was true. She shouldn't have kissed Remus. And she _was_ over him. Did she miss him more than she had ever missed anyone before? Yes, but he was her first friend to go away anywhere. She supposed she missed James and Sirius too. And she was looking forward to getting to know Dory now that she and Mary were friends. But she was most definitely over Remus.

They heard the knights before they saw them. Shouting filled the air long before they heard the footsteps of their horses or the clinking of their armor.

"No one is actually going to believe that!" James' voice catapulted through the woods and Lily got a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach about what had actually happened over the past few days. "We didn't do anything wrong."

"I agree," She heard Remus's voice next, trying to be comforting as usual. "We did everything that we could have."

"And then some." Dory said.

"You trusted them!" Another voice shouted, this voice Lily couldn't place. "You trusted them, and now the entire kingdom is going to think that we-"

"I know what they are going to think!" James shouted. Lily could picture him pulling at his hair as he said this. "But it's not true. If we just talk to the people, then-"

"Then what?" Sirius didn't sound nearly as angry as James or the knight. He sounded like someone had finally bested him at something. "We played right into their hands, James. We did exactly what they wanted us to do." Lily finally saw some movement at the edge of the woods and looked at Mary.

"At least they're okay." Mary said weakly, though she didn't look relieved.

James was riding in front with Sirius on his left and Remus on his right. All three of them looked as though they had just gone through the worst few days of their lives.

"I wish they would have just tried to kill us." James sighed, not yet having caught site of Lily and Mary. "At least that we would have expected."

"Cheers to that." Sirius said.

Remus was the first to see them and he slid down from his horse as soon as he did. "Lily." He said softly, rushing up to her. Lily met him halfway and threw her arms around him. She knew that Mary was most likely giving her a look right about now, but she hoped that she was too busy rushing up to hug her own friends. She tried very hard not to care one way or the other though.

She pulled back from Remus and looked him over. Other than looking completely exhausted, he didn't appear injured or harmed in any way. She almost reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes but decided that it wouldn't be entirely appropriate and pushed her own hair back instead.

"What happened?" She asked quietly. Remus shook his head and looked towards the sky. He opened his mouth to say something but Sirius, who had dismounted along with the rest of the knights, was now standing right behind Remus and answered before him.

"We were set up." He said bitterly, pulling Remus back and giving Lily a hug of his own. Lily was more than a bit shocked, because she'd never hugged Sirius before, and because he didn't seem like the type of person who liked to hug people, but she hugged him back anyways.

When he pulled back, Lily couldn't stop herself from pushing the hair out of his face. "What happened to you eye?" She asked, her voice far more stern than she had meant it to be.

Sirius pulled her hand away and stepped back. "Amos and I got into a bit of an argument. I was winning, so he punched me."

Lily looked at the four knights who's names she wasn't sure of. She knew that the twins were Fabian and Gideon, but the other two she had no clue. She glared at both of them, and then shook her head. "Is anyone else hurt?"

"No." James was still standing by his horse. "No one got hurt."

They all looked so dejected just then, that it made Lily's heart ache. She saw the look on James' face and acted without thinking about it. She walked the five meters or so to close the distance between them and then wrapped her arms around James' neck, forgetting entirely that this was the crowned prince, or that a good number of his closest knights were there watching the exchange. In that moment, he was simply a boy who needed a hug. He seemed too shocked to do much of anything at first, but eventually he wrapped his arms around her middle and brought his forehead down to her shoulder.

"They knew we were coming." He said quietly, leaving his head down. "They wanted to make it look as though I was worse than my father, so they set us up. They killed six people, all because they stood up for me. Then they told everyone that I did it." Lily pulled him a bit closer before letting go.

"But there were people who saw what really happened?" She asked. He had let go of her, much more slowly than she did him. His eyes were softer now than they had been when she first walked up to him.

"Of course there were."

Sirius laughed harshly. "Do you think anyone of those people are going to come forward with the truth after what happened to anyone who even _muttered_ something positive about James? Those men just slaughtered them!"

"We couldn't even do anything about it." One of the twins said, his head hanging low. "We just watched it happen."

"People will have to believe you, James." Lance said, one of his arms around Mary. "We did everything we could have."

"Those people still died." James took a deep breath and then reached up for his saddle. "You can all do as you please, but I have a feeling that my father is expecting me." Lily watched him ride off, the twin knights and the two that she couldn't name rode after him.

"You're not going with him?" She asked Remus.

"No, his father doesn't like me all that much. It'll probably go easier if I'm not there."

"And you?" She asked Sirius.

"His father doesn't like me either. Doesn't think I should be a knight."

"But you both saw James, correct? You want him to be alone right now?"

Sirius reached out and ruffled her hair. "Looks like _you_ finally saw James." He said, giving her a small grin. "We need to get warm again Lily. We've forgotten what it feels like to be warm."

"He's not wrong." Remus nodded. "And we already talked to James about this. We're going to meet him at Dumbledore's in an hour."

Lily looked over and saw Mary, Dory and Lance, leading his horse, walking towards town as well. "Are you three going back to Hagrid's?" She asked. Mary turned around and nodded at the same time Dory turned around and glared at her.

"It's none of your business where we're going." Dory snapped.

"Lily and I are friends now." Mary said, putting a hand on Dory's shoulder to calm her down. "She's not the enemy."

"What do you mean you're friends?" Lance asked, sounding a bit surprised. Lily didn't know how she felt about that. She had never talked to Lance before, and she didn't really like the idea of Mary and Dory talking about her with him behind her back.

"I mean that you were gone and I wanted to talk to someone, she was at Hagrid's a lot and she's actually a really nice person so don't be mean to her anymore." Mary pushed Lance's shoulder and then looked over at Lily. "Not that any of us was really mean _to_ you per say. It was really all amongst ourselves."

"Right." Lily nodded. "Well, I wasn't the nicest to you lot before, so I guess I can't really get upset about that. I'm sorry if I upset any of you."

"If?" Dory spat.

"Gods! Enough, Dory." Sirius sighed, rubbing his jaw. "I know that we've all just been through hell, but Evans is a nice bird, and so are you. So stop acting like you're the spoiled brat that you used to be and just apologize like she did."

Dory raised her brows and then huffed. "Fine. I'm sorry, Lily that I called you-"

"No." Mary interrupted her. "Try again."

Dory's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Apparently I got the wrong impression of you. I'm sorry that I… judged you too harshly. Is that satisfactory?"

"It's perfect." Mary said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lily."

"See you tomorrow."

"So, what is Mary like?" Sirius asked after they split paths. Remus, Sirius and Lily were walking towards the castle, because even though they hadn't explicitly invited her to come with them, she was going with them anyway.

"She's nice. A bit abrasive and brutally honest, but I like that about her."

"Honest?" Sirius asked, raising a brow. "Did she tell you Lance's secret?"

"No." Lily asked. "We're friends. I respected her privacy and didn't ask. Besides, even if I were to ask, I wouldn't expect an answer. It's not her secret to tell."

She saw Remus and Sirius exchange a look. She could tell by the look on Remus's face that he hadn't wanted her to see that exchange, but she had seen it, so she pressed her lips together and waited to see what they were going to say.

When neither of them said anything, she shrugged. "Do you disagree?" She asked.

"No." Sirius said. "If someone has a secret, and they want someone else to know about it, then _they_ should be the one to tell people."

"Yes." Lily nodded.

"So if I know a secret about James or… Remus," He shrugged his shoulders. "Then you wouldn't want _me_ to be the one to tell you, right? Because you would want to hear those things from Remus." He narrowed his eyes. "Or James." He added as an afterthought.

"See, this is you telling me that Remus has a secret, which is only slightly better than telling me the secret itself."

"Only slightly better?"

"Only slightly."

"So I should just tell you the secret?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that the two of you should stop talking to each other." Remus pushed his way in between Sirius and Lily. "And I thought you learned your lesson with James, Sirius."

"It worked out in the end." Sirius shrugged. "Besides, I've got a feeling this girl is going to be around a lot, and I need to ask you some questions. I've waited the entire ride back, because I didn't want to chance Amos or the Prewett brother's over hearing, but I can't wait much longer."

Lily looked at the two boys and then frowned. "James knows something about you that I don't?"

"You know loads of things about me that James doesn't." Remus said quickly.

"I know that. That's why that kind of stings." Remus turned to glare at Sirius, who only smirked at him. "And he knows too?"

"That was both an accident and a massive mistake." Remus covered his eyes with his hand. "Since he keeps trying to tell _everyone_."

"I haven't told _anyone_. You're the one who told Lance and Dory."

"Lance and Dory know too?" Lily was all for privacy, but it seemed like he was telling everyone except her. "I knew that you were keeping something to yourself, but I didn't think you wanted to talk about it, so I never brought it up!"

"Lily, I didn't keep it to myself to spite you."

"No." She shook her head. She stopped walking and so did Remus and Sirius. They were almost at Lily's house now, just a few houses away. "But you also didn't keep it to yourself."

"I have magic, Lily."

"Very funny, Remus." Lily said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking around them to make sure that no one had heard his proclamation. It was cold today though, so there weren't many people out in the streets today. "But you know that you can't say things like that."

"I know."

"Then why did you say that?"

"Because you wanted the truth. Sirius found out because he followed me without my knowing to Dumbledore's when I was gathering things to save the king's life. Lance found out when I stopped a brick chimney from falling on top of him. Dory found out because I thought she had magic and I told her. And James found out because Sirius here decided that I should tell him. And now I'm telling you because you're my best mate, and I don't want you to think that I-"

"I didn't want to know that!" Lily shouted, closing her eyes and covering her ears with her hands. "I didn't want to know that, Remus!" She felt him warp his fingers around her wrists and pulled them away from her head.

"I knew that, and that's why I didn't tell you. I wanted to, but I knew that you wouldn't want to know because you worry too much and you-"

"I worry too much!" Lily laughed humorlessly. "Are you joking right now? I don't worry too much. Mary tried to tell me the same thing yesterday and I told her I didn't want to know, and she respected that. If you knew that I didn't want to know-"

"Shut up." Sirius put his hands out in front of him, his fingers all spread out and he was looking at Lily as though he'd never met her before. Lily felt her jaw tightening and her face get red. "What the hell is your problem?"

"What the- What are you talking about?" Lily asked, not sure how to respond to this Sirius.

"I thought you were Remus's friend. _You_ thought you fancied him just last week."

"I am his friend, but that doesn't mean that I want to kn-"

"I trusted you." Sirius said. "Apparently I was wrong to do that."

"You don't understand-"

"No, you don't understand! James knows about Remus and while he's upset that Remus didn't tell him sooner, that's about it. He's fine with it." Lily wasn't sure if he believed that, but Remus wasn't disputing him so she wrapped her arms around her middle and shrugged. "When those men gathered in front of us and we thought that they were going to try and kill us, James had Remus and Dory standing beside him because he's not stupid and he knew that he wasn't going to win a battle of magic if he refused to use magic. How can you stand there and claim to be Remus's friend if you can't accept him the way he is?"

"I never said that I wouldn't accept him! I just said that I-"

"Didn't want to know. Yes, I heard you." Sirius tilted his head sideways to stretch his neck and then started walking again. "Maybe you shouldn't come with us."

"My mum was a witch!" Lily snapped. She took a deep breath and balled her fists by her sides. Sirius stopped walking and both boys looked at her. "She didn't die. She ran away because she had magic. I knew that she had magic, and she used it all the time and it was great." Lily felt her eyes fill up with tears. She saw Sirius sigh and close his eyes and Remus stepped up to her but she shook her head and took a step back. "One of our old neighbors got suspicious and cornered me one day. I knew that I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but I've never been an exceptionally good liar and- my mum packed up her things that night and left. She just left and my dad told everyone that she was dead."

"Lily-" Remus started to say something but Lily didn't let him.

"No. I'm the reason my mum left us. So when I say I don't want to know your secret, or when I worry too much about something, it's not because I'm trying to be a horrible person or because I don't know how to relax, it's because I am the reason that my mum left. I put her life and my family's lives in danger because I couldn't keep a secret."

"You were just a little kid, red." Sirius said.

"You can't blame yourself." Remus added. Lily bit down on the tip of her tongue and tried to think of a way that she could explain all of this and make it make sense.

"I do blame myself. Of course I do, and how could I not. If I had said something different, or just walked away, I could still have my mum with me right now. I could have a good relationship with my sister, I might not have had to work since I was seven. My life would have been completely different. So no, I don't want to know your secrets, because I don't want to be responsible for them."

"See that's where my sympathy ends." Sirius said. Remus's brow went up, but Lily wasn't offended by Sirius's blunt attitude.

"Sirius." Remus elbowed him, but Sirius just stepped to the side to avoid any more bodily harm, and then continued speaking.

"You both know what happened to my brother and you both know that it was my fault. Your mum left because you messed up, fine. My brother died. He died because I chose to side with someone else over him, and that will haunt me for the rest of my life, but you're mistake… Lily you were a little kid, four? Five? Why did your parents even think that it was okay to burden you with that kind of secret? Your mum could have taken you with her, but she didn't and that's on her, not you. You don't have a mum right now because of the decisions that her and your father made, not because of anything that you did.

"And even if it was your fault, and you should blame yourself, you can't live the rest of your life in fear of making the same mistake again. You have to own up to what you did and then fix it. You can't just stick your head in the ground and hope that you can get by completely ignorant to everything that's happening."

Lily shook her head and felt herself flush when she could no longer stop the tears from welling up and spilling over.

Remus approached her carefully, and when she didn't flinch away from him, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling him close to his chest and resting a hand on her head.

"We can find her if you'd like." He said quietly. "I'll find her for you."

"No, it's alright." Lily sniffed. "Like Sirius said, she didn't have to leave, right? But she did." She tried to smile. "And she hasn't tried to talk to me in over ten years, so…" She sniffed again.

"Whatever you need, I'm here for you." Remus said, stroking her hair.

"Alright, break it up." Sirius said, pulling Remus and Lily apart. "This is why Lily thought you fancied her, mate."

"Can you try and act like a real-"

"He's right." Lily nodded. Remus blanched and then shook his head.

"And now they're ganging up on me." He muttered turning back towards the castle.

"You alright?" Sirius asked, slinging an arm around Lily's shoulders and leading her after Remus.

"It's not even noon and today has already felt like it's been going on forever."

"Cheers to that."

"You say that a lot."

"You want a drink?"

"No, it's not yet noon. I just said that."

"You also look like you could use a drink."

"I'm good. Do you need a drink?"

"I always need a drink." He swept his hair back and Lily laughed. He looked over at her and smiled. "I'm sorry for making a speech at you. I don't have any right to do that."

"Maybe not." Lily nodded, "But you meant well and I appreciate it."

"Well, then I'd be more than happy to help you out again in the future."

"Thank you."

James was still numb from the cold when he started walking up the stone steps to the Great Hall. His father had the guards lined up along the walls and James was glad to see that his father had been cautious while he was gone.

Two of the guardsmen pulled the giant oak doors open for him and he was hit with a gust of hot hair. His cheeks started to tingle almost instantly and he stretched out his fingers, trying to absorb as much heat as he could.

"James," His father was seated on his throne, and Bella was sitting on her chair off to his left. Bella's face was pale and her eyes were red and James almost forgot that she had tried to kill their father. For a moment he wanted to rush up to her, make sure that she was alright. It was only a moment however, and then he remembered what she had done.

"Father," He said, bowing his head slightly. He looked around the room and saw that the only other person in the room was Kingsley, one of his father's personal guardsmen.

"I heard that you had a rough trip." Was all the king said, his tone not indicating whether or not he believed the stories he must have heard to be true or not. He didn't look happy however, and he looked exhausted as well. He assumed that his father had been up worrying about him.

"You could say that." James sighed. His hands were stinging now, almost painful, as they tried to warm themselves up. He rubbed them together to help them along. "It was a trap."

"What do you mean?" The king asked, sitting up straighter and narrowing his brow.

"I mean, I would like to question whoever told you that you needed to send someone out there because they knew we were coming, the whole town knew that we were coming. They had a plan."

"James, I heard you executed six people in the middle of town." His father managed to smile a bit. "What part of that was their plan?"

"Does that sound like something I would do?" James asked, too tired to actually argue with his father about this. "Lord Antonin Dolohov, you had his son executed a while back, he gathered five other men and met me in town and then a crowd started to gather and he started talking about how I needed to be stopped before I was king so that their people wouldn't continue to be slaughtered. He waited until six people stepped forward against him, and then he and his men attacked."

"Lord Dolohov killed his own people?" Bella asked, looking startled.

"No." The king said softly, turning to look at Bella, his gaze instantly softening. "He killed my people."

"They all had magic, what do you care?" Bella snapped.

"We've been over this, dear." The king sighed, looking both exhausted and sad.

"But why would Dolohov kill them?" She asked, turning back to look at James.

"Because I asked for diplomacy," James laughed. He ran both hands through his hair and started pacing in front of his father and Bella. "I came to Antonin with someone he knew to have magic and I asked him to speak with me about what he wanted to change and that just upset him even more! And now the whole kingdom- Well they're going to think that I'm just as afraid of magic as you are." The king opened his mouth to speak, but Bella beat him to it.

"You missed a lot this week you've been gone." Bella said tersely. "Apparently he's not afraid of magic. He knew what he was sending you into."

"I did not know that Lord Antonin was going to tarnish James' reputation. And if I thought for a moment that his life was in danger, I wouldn't have let him go." He almost looked angry now. "If you could behave like an adult, that would be very helpful, Bellatrix."

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. James looked back and forth between the two of them. He couldn't recall a time before now that they had acted more like father and daughter and that didn't make sense to him. Bella had tried to murder the king, the king had always been slightly cold towards her, they shouldn't be behaving like this.

"Well, I'm not sure that I believe James is innocent." Bella snapped.

"Of course you know he's innocent. If it were me, than you wouldn't even ask, but James is your brother and the two of you have always gotten on very well."

"He's not my brother. I don't have any brothers, I have two sisters."

"Do you wish to talk more about this now? You had locked yourself in your room since yesterday, so I was under the impression that you wanted to drop the subject."

"I don't want to talk about it!" Bella shouted, jumping to her feet.

"Sit back down." The king shouted, also getting to his feet.

"I will not! You are _not_ my father and I do _not_ want you to act as though you are!"

"I know that you feel I made the wrong call, and there is not a day that goes by that I don't wish that I could have saved your sisters as well, but your father-"

"I KNOW WHAT MY FATHER DID!" Bella shrieked, walking up the few steps so that she was on the king's platform now. "I remember what kind of man he was! I was thirteen when I moved here, I remember, alright! I remember what he said, and I remember what kind of man he was."

"Then _why_ are you so angry with me?" The king asked, he reached out for her arm but she pulled always.

She looked up at the ceiling and then over at James. He wasn't sure what to think of the look she was giving him just then, but suddenly he was quite sure that his father knew that Bella was behind him getting sick.

"I don't know." Bella sighed. "You killed my parents, I feel like that's justification enough."

"What happened while I was gone?" James asked, walking up the steps to stand next to his father and the woman who had once been his sister. "What is going on with the two of you?"

"James, things are complicated at the moment." The king said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder but keeping his eyes on Bella. "But it's nothing that we can't work through."

James looked at Bella and saw that her face had gone red. Her hands were balled into tiny fists and she had her jaw clenched so tightly that her whole body was shaking slightly. He had never been afraid of Bella before, but he wouldn't mind leaving her presence right about then.

"Bella has magic." He blurted out quite suddenly. Bella and his father turned to look at him, both equally surprised by his outburst.

"Kingsley, you may leave us."

"Yes, sir." He muttered the only words that James had ever heard him say and then walked briskly out of the room.

When the oak doors had swung shut behind him, the king rounded on James. "Where do you think you get off saying something like that?"

"She looked about ready to-"

"Of course Bella has magic!" The king hissed. "Both of her parents had magic, and all of their parents had magic!"

"You knew?" Bella hissed, grabbing a fist full of her skirt and taking a step closer. James involuntarily took a step back. "Why didn't you tell me that you knew?"

"Because then I'd have to admit that I was wrong about you!" The king roared. He fell back into his throne and sighed, letting his head fall against his hand. "I took you in! I look at you and I see that daughter I never had, and I convinced myself that you were nothing like him. That you were better, that you were _kind._ I'd rather play the blind fool and pretend that I don't notice that you've tried to poison me twice in the last month than admit that I was wrong about you."

" _Twice_?" James gasped. Bella meanwhile had frozen where she stood. "You knew the first time and you didn't banish her or imprison her or have her executed for treason against the crown?"

"Of course I didn't." The king started massaging his temples. "Whether you like it or not, darling, you are my daughter and I love you."

Bella blinked slowly and then shook her head. "You both knew? You both knew what I had done and… and…" She stumbled back her foot hung off the step she was on before falling onto the one below it. "Why didn't you kill me? Why didn't you throw me in the dungeon or- or something? I tried to kill you!"

"The first time, yes." The king nodded. "But then I was honest with you and you didn't let me drink the poison."

"You knew it was poison and you were going to dr- Why?"

"Bella," He stood up and reached for her hand. This time she was too shocked to move away. "I would never do anything to hurt you, I explained as much as you'd let me before."

"Can you explain some more?" James asked. "Because I don't know what's going on. I heard from multiple sources that Bella was trying to kill you; that she lets you punish others for her magic, and that she might have been behind the attack in Leefside. She can't go unpunished."

"James, please."

"No! I don't understand why you're being so- so _forgiving_! Every time that I've asked why magic is illegal, you bring up my mother. You tell me how dangerous it is, but when she comes into our home and uses her magic to try and kill you, you're fine with it?"

"I didn't say that I was fine with it, obviously I'd rather things turned out differently- But you don't know what her father was like. There are some things that you can't wash out of a person, James."

"Are you trying to say that I'm like my father?"

"Bella-"

"No, is that what you're saying?"

"How many people have you let me execute since you started using your magic here in Camelot?"

"Gods, I should have killed you." Bella was shaking again.

"Just because you've made some poor decisions doesn't mean that-"

"She's responsible for her actions, same as everyone!" James shouted. "Why is that so hard for you to understand? She's admitted to attempting to murder you, and she uses her magic in the castle! You've had people sentenced to death for far less."

"You want him to kill me?" Bella looked genuinely hurt at this and James couldn't have cared less.

"Why was Leefside burned down?"

"No one died in the fire, why does it matter?"

"Why was it burned down?" He shouted.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Both of you keep your voices down." The king shouted. "If you keep this up, I'm going to throw both of you in the dungeon."

"She tried to kill you!" James shouted, thinking that if he spoke louder, then maybe his father would actually understand what he was saying. When his father only sighed, James threw his hands up in frustration. "Are you mad? Because that's the only explanation I can come up with."

"She's my daughter, James-"

"I am _not_ your daughter."

"She's not. You've only got me, dad."

"Yeah, because you played with something you don't understand and got your wife killed."

"That's enough." The king stood up straighter and looked Bella in the eye. "You are angry and confused, and I can overlook everything that you've done if you prove to me that you are going to change."

"I don't want to-"

"I suggest you hold your tongue." Bella's mouth hung open but she didn't continue speaking. "Both of you go to your rooms."

"You can't send us to our rooms!" James shouted. " _She_ needs to be locked up!"

"James, this matter is more complicated than you know." The king started walking towards the door. "You'll either go on your own, or I'll send the guards in."

Bella screamed, and as she did, all of the flames lighting the room jumped ten feet in the air, bellowing out. The king didn't react to this and continued for the door. James, who was more frightened than he cared to admit, watched Bella storm off and then headed to his own room.

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 **AN: Reviews are always wonderful!**


	17. The Endless Day

**AN: Hey there all! This chapter is a little bit longer than normal because I was supposed to update last Friday but I forgot... Anyway, this chapter isn't nearly as intense as the last one, so you know, you get a bit of reprieve in most aspects (except Jily. That part is really tense.)**

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 _"Don't walk in front of me… I may not follow_  
 _Don't walk behind me… I may not lead_  
 _Walk beside me… just be my friend"_  
 _― Albert Camus_

 _or_

 _"I thought about how there are two types of secrets: the kind you want to keep in, and the kind you don't dare to let out."_  
 _― Ally Carter_

 **Chapter Seventeen: The Endless Day**

James didn't end up meeting Sirius, Remus and Lily in Dumbledore's quarters an hour after they split up as they had agreed to do. And Lily had already said, 'I told you so' about six times.

"So how many people in total, know that you have magic?" Dumbledore asked after patiently listening to Remus and Sirius tell him everything that had happened this last week. Well, almost everything. Remus had to leave out the part about Lance, because he couldn't say anything in front of Sirius and Lily. But he was definitely going to tell Dumbledore as soon as he got him alone.

Remus quickly counted up the people in his head and ticked them off on his fingers. "Six for sure, maybe eight. I'm sure Dory and Lance have told Mary, and maybe Marlene."

"Nine." Sirius said. "You forgot that bloke from Godric's Hollow.

"Right, Snape. He might know too." Remus chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment and then shook his head. "I don't know if he knows. Wouldn't he have said something if he had?"

"Not necessarily." Dumbledore said. "This is a dangerous secret for him to have, he may be biding his time.

"That's comforting." Remus sighed, his head falling into his hands. He took a seat at the table and rested his elbows along the edge.

"Who the hell is Emrus?" Sirius asked.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Emrus. Dory used that name and it rattled everyone. Who is he?" Remus shrugged. "Come on, I've been meaning to ask you since we left that bloody town."

"I don't know who he is." Remus huffed. "Dory thought it was me when she found out I had magic, but I've never heard of him before."

"What about you?" Sirius asked Dumbledore. "Do you know who Emrus is?"

"Yes and no." Dumbledore walked over to the fire and withdrew his kettle of boiling water. "Emrus is a man who, until recently, I have always thought to be fictional. He was the star of many tales in the wizarding community, especially more recently."

"So he's made up?"

"Yes and no." Dumbledore repeated, now pouring out four cups of tea. "The stories are all made up, but the man himself, he's real. It was prophesized many, many years ago that there would come a day when magic would no longer be considered a crime. That there would be a man who could unite both muggle and magical alike."

"Why would Dory think that it's me?" Remus asked. "Because that's a pretty tall order."

"She believes it to be you, because you fit the description." Dumbledore smiled at him. "A young man who has magic unlike any the world has ever seen. A man who befriends both royals and peasants alike, and brings them together."

"I didn't bring anyone together." Remus scoffed. "I didn't even like James for the longest time."

"No, but then you did. And you became friends with Sirius and, I don't know if he'll admit it freely, but Sirius and James are now friends as well. That wouldn't have happened if it were not for you."

"So you think that Remus is… Emrus?" Sirius asked.

"I believe it is possible."

"That's vague."

"Prophecies are vague."

"I don't believe in prophecies."

"Disregarding something because you don't understand it, is not wise, Sirius."

"Well, I do lots of things that aren't wise."

"How much weight should we put into prophecies?" Lily asked.

"Prophecies are what you make of them." Dumbledore said simply, picking up his teacup and taking a sip. "Though it should be said that one cannot run from their destiny. Things that are meant to happen will happen no matter what you believe."

"So it doesn't matter if Remus is Emrus or he isn't." Lily said, also picking up her teacup. "Because as long as Dory and you believe that he is… " She trailed off.

"As long as people believe that he is Emrus, than he fulfills the role and the prophecy is put in motion."

"But if he's not Emrus-"

"It doesn't matter if he's not Emrus as we thought Emrus would be. If he's meant to be Emrus, than he will become him." Dumbledore shrugged. "That's how prophecies work."

And that was as much sense as they were going to get out of the older man, so they all picked up their teacups and turned to look at the door, hoping that James would walk through.

oOoOo

Mary was glad to be reunited with Dory. After having heard what had happened in Godric's Hollow, Mary had not been able to sit still long enough to relax, and she knew that she wouldn't have been able to find Dory on the trail before she had returned to Camelot and that it would be better to just wait it out. Having never been very good at waiting however, Mary was relieved when it the wait was finally over.

"What the hell happened out there?" Mary asked once she and Dory had managed to get a moment to themselves. They were hiding out in Hagrid's old garden shed. Most of the things that one would usually find in a garden shed, Hagrid kept in his house, so the shed hadn't been used in almost a decade. The only things inside were a mouse nest and a broken rake.

Dory took a deep breath, puffing out her chest. "Remus has magic." She said, a huge smile spreading across her face.

"What? Sirius's Remus? James's man servant?"

Dory nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! He's the one that everyone was talking about Mary! He's Emrus!" Mary raised a brow and sighed.

"Now I know that it's been extremely cold these last few days, so maybe your hands went numb at some point during the ride back home and you slipped off your saddle and hit your head, but let's not be-"

"Can you stop insulting me long enough for me to explain myself?" She was so excited to share whatever it was she thought would convince Mary, that she didn't even look upset. "I saw him do magic." She shook her head, looking down at the floor as she talked, her eyes glazed over as though she were looking at something that Mary couldn't see. "It was like nothing I've ever seen. He doesn't use spells, or a wand, or his hands, he just- he just does things. Before those men started killing all those people, he made this storm appear out of the clear sky, and he didn't mutter one incantation."

"How do you know it was him then?" Mary crossed her arms over her chest and stuck a hip out. "Godric's Hollow is full of people who actually practice magic. What makes you think that it was Remus who was making the storm?"

"It was his eyes." Dory said, still smiling. Mary was starting to think that maybe she really had fallen off her horse recently. "They glowed when he was using his magic. There was actual, golden light coming out of his eyes, just like in the stories Mary!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Dory. You know as well as I do that most of those stories were made up. The only one that holds any element of truth is the actual prophecy, which states nothing of glowing eyes." She jutted her jaw out. She had waited for Dory to return home for a week, wanting to talk to her, seriously, about what was going on in The Hollows. She had family there and she hadn't seen or heard from them in months, and Dory was making up stories about a man that may or may not exist yet.

"I'm not being ridiculous." Dory said, articulating her words carefully, but not losing her smile completely. "Remus _is_ Emrus."

"He doesn't even fit the prophecy!" Mary started pacing back and forth

"He does though! Think about it!" Dory pulled her hair back and then stood up straight. " _A young man will appear before the kingdom-_ "

"I know the prophecy!" Mary interrupted.

"Then think about everything you know about Remus! He fits the prophecy!"

Mary chewed her lip and shook her head. This wasn't possible. She had met Remus numerous times. He couldn't be the man that they were all waiting for. Hell, she was pretty sure that there was no possible way that the boy had any magic at all, no matter what Dory said. He was a _servant_ after all. He worked directly under the king, and the king was the main problem for people with magic. Why would someone with magic be working for someone who goes around and chops off the heads of anyone who might have magic?

Aside from that, Remus was afraid of horses, he was clumsy, couldn't use a sword to save his life (or anyone else's for that matter.) How could Dory be so certain that he was the one who was meant to save all of wizarding kind?

"Think about it, Mary." Dory reiterated. "He showed up in Camelot from who knows where, and got a job working for the prince. Then he rode out with the prince, befriended Sirius and us. Now Sirius and the prince are friends as well-"

"Sirius is not a peasant." Mary interrupted. "You've told me where he came from."

"I don't think you have to be born a peasant, to be one." Dory said. "And fine, if you don't want to count him, what about your new friends Lily? _Or Lance_? They count! And you haven't seen him do his magic yet, but I swear to you it's unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Just because you use phrases of the prophecy-"

"Mary, listen to me!" Dory grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "He is Emrus."

"I doubt it, Dory." Mary shrugged. "But I guess we can talk to him. If nothing else, I can prove to you that it's not him."

"I'll take it." Dory sighed. "But try not to be too sore about all of this when I'm right."

"I'll do my best."

oOoOo

"Emrus?" Voldemort said softly, sitting at the head of the long dining table. They were gathered in the Dolohov's manor, and for the first time since he had moved to Godric's Hollow, Severus found himself sitting at the table with Antonin, instead of running about and fetching him things. He was sitting three people from Voldemort, watching the man clench his jaw. "They know who Emrus is?"

"The odds that Emrus is a real person is very slim, my lord." Nott sat on Voldemort's right, his long grey beard reaching the top of the table and his long, spindly fingers raking through it. "I believe that they were using whatever means they could to frighten us. It didn't work."

"It didn't?" Voldemort asked, tilting his head ever so slightly. "And yet someone found it necessary to tell me about it. Antonin?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"Why did your son think he should tell me that the witch said Emrus was on their side if he believed it to be a bluff?"

"I didn't think it was a bluff!" Augustin stood up from his chair, causing the back legs to scrape against the floor. Severus clenched his teeth at the sound, but it wasn't nearly as bad as watching the young Dolohov try and string words together. "You all saw the clouds! You saw how they came out of nowhere!"

"Yes," Nott smiled at him. "Storm clouds in the winter, who has ever heard of that?" A few of the men around the table laughed, but none of the men who had actually been there. They all knew that it was magic that had put those clouds there. And powerful magic at that.

Rosier stood up from his chair as well and leant across the table. "Look, my lord, I'm not sure if Emrus was there or if he wasn't, but I am quite sure that the Meadows girl thought that Emrus was there. And I'm also quite sure that all of the people who watched what happened though that Emrus was there."

"It was a very powerful display of magic." Antonin agreed.

Voldemort pressed his hands together and leant back in his chair. "And who could this man be then? The powerful sorcerer that believes himself to be Emrus?"

Severus sat up straight and rested his arms on the table. He had been waiting for this. The perfect opportunity to prove his usefulness, to prove to everyone in the room that he was more than a servant boy.

"I'm not sure if Emrus was there or not, but I do have an interesting piece of information." He said, watching Antonin out of the corner or his eye. The older man got stiff, rightly believing that if Severus were to say something incredibly stupid, he would be blamed for it. "I overheard the prince and his men talking in the tavern." He waited until everyone was looking at him before he spoke again. "The prince's servant boy has magic."

The room was silent, and Severus revealed in it.

"Are you certain?" Voldemort asked quietly, leaning forward.

"I heard him confess it to the prince." Severus nodded. "And he was present when we were in town." He wasn't sure if he should tell them all that he had seen the boy's eyes glowing, not when they were talking about the possibility of Emrus being around.

"You saw him use magic?" Antonin asked. Severus could hear the real question underneath though. _Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?_

"Yes." Severus nodded. "I saw him use magic."

"And the prince knows about this?" Voldemort narrowed his eyes.

"Yes." The Dark Lord stood up and started pacing the length of the room.

"I had assumed that he was just using the Meadows girl for appearances. To make people- but if his servant boy…" He trailed off and started massaging his temples.

"If the prince's servant has magic," Nott twirled the ends of his beard. "Then perhaps he is different than his father."

"It doesn't matter." Voldemort said, ceasing his pacing to look back at his men. "It doesn't matter if the boy is different or not. For all we know, his servant has him under some sort of enchantment. Or he's using his magic for his own benefit, keeping him around under the threat of death."

"That seems more likely than the king raising an open-minded son." Nott chuckled, and a few of the other men laughed as well. Voldemort allowed himself a smile, Severus did as well, even though he was quite sure that either option Voldemort presented were most likely false. He had nothing good to say about the prince, but he knew that until Remus told him that he had magic, he hadn't known.

"What's important here, is that the prince's servant has magic." He said, his smile widening slightly. "And I'm sure we can find a way to use that to our advantage."

oOoOo

James had been sneaking out of his room since he was eleven, so he was only upset that his father had demanded that he be kept in his room, because his father thought that he _could_ demand that he be kept in his room. He was eighteen years old, and the next king of Camelot. And aside from that, he was also right in this whole argument _._ His _father_ was being thick about everything that had to do with Bella.

He still couldn't believe that he knew that Bella had tried to kill him and hadn't done anything about it. He had known that she had magic as well! He had known, and still condemned the men and women she accused of using magic to death. He had overlooked all of her wrongdoings and done everything that he could to save her, and she repaid him by trying to end his life. Twice. And he was _still_ protecting her.

After climbing out his window and down the castle wall, James headed towards Dumbledore's quarters. Even though he'd much rather be left alone at the moment, he had promised to meet Remus and Sirius there, and he didn't think that anyone would think to check for him there once they discovered that he'd escaped.

In his haste to escape from his room, he had forgotten to take his winter cloak with him, and as soon as his feet sunk down in the snow, and he stopped exerting effort to keep himself from falling off the wall, he remembered how cold it was. He quickly ran through the deep snow, cursing it for being there. He was now going to have to walk passed Dumbledore's tower just so that when they did discover that he was gone, he wouldn't lead them right to where he was hiding out with his footprints.

He walked down to the creek, hopped over it and then walked up to the street, where all the snow had been brushed from the path. He wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed them against his arms.

"James?" He looked up and saw Lily walking towards him. "What are you doing out here?" She rushed forward and looked him over. "You were supposed to meet the lads back in the tower, I was waiting with them but it was getting late and I didn't want my father to worry."

James couldn't help but smile at her, even in his current mental state. Her cheeks were tinted red from the cold, and her hair was down, falling in waves to her chest with little snowflakes catching in it. He hadn't even noticed that it had started to snow.

"I had to speak with _my_ father." James said, resisting the urge to reach out to her. "It didn't go exactly as planned."

"He believed you though, yes?" Lily said. "He has to believe you."

"Honestly, he wouldn't have cared one way or the other what really happened, but yes. He believed me." James nodded, rubbing his arms again.

"Let's get you out of the cold." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Were you headed back to Dumbledore's?"

"Yes." He nodded. They started walking towards the castle again.

"What happened then?" Lily asked. "Unless you don't want to talk about it, then I completely understand, and I'll mind my own business."

"He knew that Bella tried to kill him." James said, trying to keep his voice even. "And that she had magic. And he's still protecting her."

"What do you mean he knew?" Lily asked, not bothering to stem her anger. "He knew what she was doing, the entire time, and he- How can he justify that? How can he- He's killed _so_ many people because he- and he's-"

"I know." James interrupted her, fighting the urge to reach out to her again. "When I tried to point out his hypocrisy, he sent me to my room."

"What?"

"Yes. He sent me to my room, and put guards by the door. That's why I was coming from town. I had to sneak out my window." He ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I guess I didn't have to. I could have stayed in my room."

Lily let her head fall into one of her hands. "I just want today to be over. It's been a really long day."

"You're telling me." James agreed. "Did Sirius and Remus already tell you-"

"That Remus has-" She looked around her and then whispered, "Magic? Yes, they told me. Even though I told them not to."

"Oh yes. I had almost forgotten about that." He sighed.

"You're upset that he didn't tell you sooner?" Lily guessed.

"Aren't you?"

"I was a bit hurt when I found out that he had told so many other people before telling me, but it's his secret and I didn't really want to know it anyway."

"He didn't trust me." James said quietly, not wanting Lily to see just how much this had hurt him. "We've been friends for almost a year now, and he didn't trust me enough to tell me."

"Can you blame him?" Lily asked gently. "I mean look at everything that your father has done. How could he possibly think that you'd be okay with him… being what he is?"

"Because we're friends!" James threw his hand up. "How am I supposed to trust him when he kept this massive secret from me? How am I supposed to know if he's telling me the truth, or just what he thinks I want to hear?"

"Him not telling you this had nothing to do with you. It was about surviving. So if you want to play the wounded friend card, go ahead and do that, but Remus would never do anything to hurt you, or to make you think less of him."

"How can you know that?"

"How can you not?" Lily asked, pushing her hair behind her ears and shaking her head. "I don't understand you sometimes. Remus is always doing everything he can to make sure that you're taken care of and-"

"That's his job." James interrupted.

"His job is to bring you your food and do your laundry." Lily said sharply, raising a brow at him. "However, it is not his job to go out to the tavern with you, or play cards with you, or- or-" She stomped her foot and started walking faster. "I know that you're frustrated with him, but if you just thought about it for a minute… if you put yourself in his position, would you have told yourself? Or would you have thought that it would be better off if no one knew?"

"But it's not like he just knew about it and didn't use it. He did use it, all the time. To do his chores and to-"

"To save your life." Lily snapped. "How dare he."

"He told Sirius." James tried again.

"No he didn't. Sirius followed him and found out accidentally."

"He told Dory! And he's not even friends with Dory!"

"Dory has magic too."

"What about Lance? Is that Lance's big secret? Does he have magic as well?"

"No. And he didn't tell Lance. He used his magic to stop a brick chimney from falling on Lance when they were putting out the fires in Leefside. He also made the rain come to put out the fires."

"Fine!" James clenched his jaw and looked forward. Luckily, because of the cold and the snow that was starting to fall in thicker clumps now, the streets were bare. "You go ahead and sing his praise, keep telling me how wonderful he is and-"

"Oh get off your high horse!" Lily shouted. "Remus is a great man, and if it weren't for you than maybe-" She broke off midsentence and her eyes widened. She stopped talking and took a step back.

"What?" He asked, turning around to see if there was something behind him.

"Nothing." She said quietly. "I forgot who I was speaking with for a moment is all. Forgive me, sir." James felt like rolling his eyes but settled for grinding his teeth.

"Maybe what?" He asked. That was too strange of a reaction for him not to press forward.

"Maybe nothing." Lily said. "I shouldn't have-"

"But you did. If it weren't for me, than maybe what?"

Lily sighed and kicked at the ground. "Let's just get you inside before you freeze. And I do have to get home soon."

" _Maybe what_ , Lily?"

She huffed and started walking towards the tower again. They were almost there now, James could see the entrance. "Please stop asking me."

"Lily-"

"Drop it."

"Did you forget who you were talking to again?" James barely got the sentence out before the look on Lily's face darkened.

"I only said that because- Urgh! I just need you to forgive Remus!"

"Why? Why can't I be upset with him?"

"Because it's your fault that he said no to me!"

There was silence. Both of them had stopped walking. James was staring at Lily as though she had just punched him in the gut and Lily was standing with her hands on her hips looking up at the sky.

"What do you mean by that?" James asked quietly.

"He won't admit it, but I know that it's true. He spouted off some such nonsense about getting breathless or something, but- Well," She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't want to sound arrogant, but I know that he would like me."

"You fancy, Remus?"

"You already knew that."

"You told me that you didn't fancy him-"

"Well you were telling me that you were in love with me and I didn't want to hurt your feelings!"

"And now?"

"What do you mean, 'and now?' And _now_ you found out that I'm really bad at keeping secrets. And that Remus really is a good mate."

James ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "I'm in love with you, and you think a good way to get me to not be upset with Remus right now is to tell me that you fancy him?"

Lily threw her head back again and started tapping her foot. "I have nothing nice to say to you right now." She tilted her head back down and took a step closer to him. "Except that a whole lot of people are upset with you and your father and you can't afford to lose any of your friends, especially not friends that have special means of protecting you. He hurt your feelings, he wounded your pride, that's all well and good. If you need to be upset for a few days, than be upset, but just remember that Remus is your best mate, he cares about you, and you need him. Now, you're going to go up to Dumbledore's quarters, and I'm going to go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

James watched her walk halfway across the courtyard before he was able to find his voice again. "Why do you always leave whenever I tell you that I love you?" He watched her throw her hands in the air out of frustration. Finding himself frustrated as well, he walked into the tower with his hands clenched at his sides and stormed up the steps.

oOoOo

Remus and Sirius were sitting around the small table in the main room of Dumbledore's quarters. The older man had gone off to deliver medicines around the castle, but they stayed where they were, waiting for James. They were playing a card game that Sirius was exceptionally good at, and Remus was losing worse than usual because he wasn't able to concentrate on the cards in front of him. He had two horses and a pitch fork and he had forgotten what the pitch fork meant, but he didn't care enough to ask.

"You're not even trying." Sirius muttered, laying down a dog card and picking up another stack.

"How can you even tell? I've never even come close to beating you at this game." Sirius shrugged. Remus tapped his cards on the edge of the table. "I'm starting to get worried about him."

"Why? You think his dad is going to hurt him or something?"

"No. But Bella is in there too."

"I thought you said that Bella likes James."

"I doubt she'll like him all that much if she thinks he's killed people with magic."

"He's fine, Remus. You're starting to sound like Lily."

"Well, if you hang out with someone long enough they start to influence your way of thinking." Remus set his cards down and sighed. "You're really not worried?"

"I'm really not. It's only been-" He turned his head to look at the clock on the wall. "Almost four hours."

"Yes. Almost four hours. That's almost three hours longer than he said he would be."

Sirius shifted in his seat and set down his cards as well. "Remus, there's always the possibility that he just doesn't want to see you."

Remus narrowed his eyes and then pushed himself away from the table. "Right." He muttered. James had still been upset with him before, but he had needed Remus. Now that they were back in the castle, there was no reason for James to push back his feelings of betrayal. Maybe he had remembered the Remus had lied to him and decided not to come and meet with him. Remus shook his head and smiled ruefully at Sirius. "I almost forgot he was angry with me."

Someone knocked on the door and Remus and Sirius exchanged looks. "Come in." Remus called. The door swung open and James stood in the doorway. His face was blank, and his hands hung limply at his sides. "Are you alright?" Remus asked, stepping forward hesitantly.

"I would just like to have _one_ day, where not everything goes to shite." He said quietly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. He walked slowly across the room and took a seat next to the fireplace. "I would like to have one day, where I can just go down and train my knights, eat dinner with my father and my sister, go out to the tavern with you lot and then just go to sleep. I miss being able to just go to sleep."

"What happened, mate?" Sirius asked, getting up from the table and going to take a seat next to James in front of the fireplace.

James took a deep breath and then laughed humorlessly. "I'm an idiot." He said solemnly. He looked up at Remus and shook his head. "You're not a bad bloke."

"Thanks." Remus muttered. "You're not a bad bloke either."

"I was. Then you showed up and flipped everything upside down."

"What?"

"Everything started to change when you came here." James reiterated. "Everything was just fine, and then you showed up and Bella tried to kill my dad, and Lily fell in love with you, and Leefside was attacked…"

"Lily's not in love with me-"

"Are you blaming Remus for-"

"No." James shook his head, ignoring Remus's half comment. "I'm not completely thick. I know that Bella would still be psychotic and my dad would still be ignorant. I just think that you coming here kicked everything into gear. It made things start happening. Does that even make sense?"

"Yes." Sirius nodded. "We were talking to Dumbledore about that Emrus character that Dory was going on about earlier, do you remember?" James nodded. "Dumbledore and Dory both think that Remus is Emrus. Emrus is this prophet that the magical community believes will reunite the divisions in our world." James looked over at Remus and Remus didn't know what to do. He wasn't convinced that he was this Emrus bloke, and he wasn't sure that he wanted James to think that he was. And there was the fact that James thought Lily was in love with Remus for some reason. He needed to fix that.

"I know that I shouldn't be upset with you about keeping your secret from me." He said, turning away to look in the fire. "I know that I should understand that the only reason you did it was to protect yourself. And I'll admit that I didn't really think of it like that until about fifteen minutes ago when Lily shouted at me, but still, it should make sense to me. Why would you tell me that you have magic when my dad has raised me to fear everything about magic? When he told me that magic is the reason that I don't have a mother. You didn't want to put me in a position where I would have to lie to my dad, or lose a friend. And while that does make sense to me, I'm still upset.

"Because you're my best mate, Remus. You've been with me for almost a year now, every single day. You've spent more time with me than anyone else this last year and you know that I'm not my father, you know that I'm different, that I've been trying _really_ hard to prove to other people that I'm not going to turn around and start chopping people's heads off as soon as I'm king. You've been with me when I promoted Lance and Sirius to knights even though one of them won't show me his face and the other…" He trailed off and motioned at Sirius. "I'm not angry with you I suppose. I'm upset that even though you've been with me, and you've watched me trying to be a good person, forcefully encouraged me to be a good person at times, even though you were there for all of that, _you_ of all people, didn't trust that I was different. You didn't trust _me._ "

Remus took a deep breath and tried to digest everything that James had just said. He walked back over and sat down at the table again and then rested his head in his hand. "I was told my entire life that I wasn't allowed to tell anyone, James. I was always treated as though my magic, something that is a part of me, it's bad and dangerous and will probably get me killed. I never even made plans to tell you, or anyone, because I had always been told that it wasn't an option." He looked over at James who was still looking into the flames. "I didn't keep it from you because I didn't trust you, I kept it from you because that's what I was supposed to do. When Sirius found out and he didn't care, I couldn't believe it. I didn't understand why he could look at what I was doing and think it was amazing, when my own mother would get spooked and run out of the room every time I accidentally did something.

"And I liked you not knowing." He said, standing up. "I liked that you were my friend, and that you didn't know that there was anything wrong with me. I liked that I could just be… just be a person around you-"

"There's nothing wrong with you." Sirius interrupted. "You don't really think that do you?"

"Not really the point right now, but thanks, mate." Remus tapped his hand on the side of his leg glancing over at Sirius and smiling.

James stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I know. Everything you said makes sense, but I'm just going to be upset for a while. And it's probably not your fault; it's just with everything else going on right now and then all of this extra shite." His hand rested at the base of his neck and he closed his eyes. "I didn't come here to yell at you or anything. We've got some more important problems to deal with than injured pride right now."

Sirius stood up as well, letting out a deep breath. "Well I'm glad that's over because I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Are you sure you don't want to hit anything though?" He looked at James. "Not that I'm suggesting you hit Remus, I don't think that you should do that, but maybe something?"

"I'm good." James said, almost smiling. "Although I do sort of feel like punching Remus."

"Because of the magic thing?"

"No, the Lily thing."

"Right. When did you find out about that?"

"She just yelled it at me in the courtyard." James said. "I'm trying not to think about it."

"Yelled what at you?" Remus asked, despite himself, knowing that for James' sake he should let it alone. "I already talked to her. Weeks ago."

"Yes, she mentioned that too." James sighed and leaned up against the wall. "She fancies you." He shook his head. "But like I said before, we have more important things to worry about right now."

"She said she was over me." Remus looked down at the ground. She had said that, hadn't she? Now he wasn't sure.

"Remus," James snapped his fingers to get his attention. "More important things."

"Lily's pretty important." Remus said. "And you have feelings for her-"

"Remus," James pushed himself off the wall. "It's fine for now. My father knew that the reason he got sick before was because Bella was trying to kill him. Apparently she tried to do it again while we were gone, but he talked her out of it or changed her mind somehow."

"What?" Sirius narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean he knew? He knows now because you told him, or-"

"Or he's known the entire time and for some reason hasn't done anything about it." James said. "And he knows she has magic too. He's always known and he got mad at me for disagreeing with how he's chosen to handle the situation. He sent both me and Bella to our rooms because we wouldn't stop yelling at him. I had to sneak out my window and then double back through town so no one would know where I was."

"He sent you to your room?" Sirius asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Are you a child?"

James sighed. "Apparently. What are we going to do though? How are we going to convince him that we need to take at least _some_ measures to ensure that Bella doesn't try to kill anyone anymore?"

"Do you really think that we can talk sense into your father?" Remus asked, sounding only slightly hesitant. "You've tried to do that how many times over the last year alone? We've been kicked out of the throne room for suggesting far simpler things than imprisoning his ward."

"His _daughter_." James corrected. "He made that very clear."

"She tried to kill him and he's still calling her his daughter?" Sirius laughed. "Your dad is just as insane as she is."

James looked ready to argue for a moment but then shrugged. "I don't understand why he's acting like this. It doesn't make any sense. She tried to kill him. _Twice._ "

"So what are we going to do? If we're not going to be able to talk some sense into her."

"We need to get her out of Camelot." James said. "I was hoping you two could help me think of a plan."

"Do we think that Bella is working alone?" Sirius asked. "Because I've known my cousin my entire life, and she's only ever been good at holding opinions that other people hand her."

"You think someone is trying to get her to kill my father?"

"Using her pre-existing hatred of him to further their own agenda? Why not?"

"Well it can't be her sister." Remus said. "When Lily and I followed her into the woods, we heard Narcissa tell Bella that she needed to stop trying to kill the king."

"Do you think there's a chance that those men in Godric's Hollow got word to her somehow?" Sirius asked.

"How would they have…" James broke off. "I guess if they were responsible for the fire in Leefside, they could have talked to her then."

"But it still would have been hard for a group of men to enter the castle without anyone noticing."

"Guards were rushing about all over the place." James shrugged. "All they would have had to do were find a few uniforms and sneak in quietly. No one would have paid them any attention."

Sirius furrowed his brow. "I hope that's not true."

"It's not true." Remus sighed. "James hates the castle guards."

"They want to be knights, but they're not good enough." James shrugged.

"They would still notice if a group of unfamiliar men entered the castle and started walking around." Remus countered. "But if it were just one man… Do you remember the way that they were talking? They said that they weren't allowed to kill any of us. It sounded like they had orders."

"Who would have given them orders?" Sirius asked.

"Who would have told Bella to kill the king?" Remus countered. "I think they have a leader."

"We'll need to talk to Bella then." James sighed. "See what we can get out of her."

"Maybe we should send Remus to talk to her." Sirius suggested. "Him being Emrus and all, it's supposed to mean that he's got really powerful magic."

"I'm not going to send Remus in by himself." James sighed. "Let's go down to the Knight's quarters and see if Lance is around. There's a good chance Dory's with him and I'm willing to bet that she'll want to help us out." He looked over at Remus. "You should go and talk to Lily."

Remus was surprised that James' tone wasn't more biting. "Are you sure? There will be time for that later."

"Yes, I'm sure." He nodded, walking towards the door. He pulled it open and let Sirius walk out ahead of him before he turned back and looked at Remus. "If you like her, then there's no reason the two of you shouldn't be together-"

"Shut up, James." Remus interrupted.

"I mean it, Remus." He said, looking Remus in the eye. "She fancies you and if you fancy her… I just want her to be happy."


	18. A Break In at the Castle

**AN: Here you are. The next chapter exactly when I promised it. (Although it's not fully edited because I'm about to leave and I wanted to make sure it was up before then. I'll go through it again on Sunday.)**

 **Reviews make the world turn. I know it seems improbable, but it's true.**

* * *

 _"War is what happens when language fails."_  
 _― Margaret Atwood_

 **Chapter Eighteen: A Break In at the** **Castle**

Lily was angrily sweeping out her tiny house when Remus finally reached her. He didn't knock on the front door, he just walked in and hung up his cloak on the back of one of the three chairs in the room.

She looked up at him and could tell by the look on his face that James had told him everything. She went back to sweeping. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No." Remus pulled the chair out and sat down. She sighed and looked up at him again.

"You look upset." She put the broom against the wall and sat down next to him.

"I thought that you didn't fancy me anymore."

Lily took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. They were cleaner than usual, and less calloused than they'd been in years. "I'm working on it."

"Why did you tell James that it was his fault that I didn't want to be with you?"

Lily looked up at him briefly and then back down at her hands. "I was angry with him and I- Well, I'd be lying if I said I don't think that it's the truth."

"I told you that it had nothing to do with James." Remus said quietly.

"I know." She started twisting her fingers now.

"Why would I lie to you about that?"

"So that I wouldn't be upset with James- I don't know." She felt her eyes start to sting and pressed her lips together.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize to me. Please don't do that." She stood up and walked over to the small fireplace. It was the only warm spot in the house. "It really has nothing to do with James?"

"I told you before that I wanted to wait for the real thing. And that you should want to wait for the real thing too. You're not in love with me, Lily. I'm actually surprised that you still want to be with me after having learned what I told you earlier. Shouldn't you be upset with me?"

"I _do_ love you." She said, wiping angrily at an escaped tear. "You're my best friend."

"I lied to you."

"You had a good reason."

"Being with me would put you and your family in danger." Lily had no argument for that. "And we couldn't even justify it by saying that it's worth it because _we're not in love_ , Lily. We care about each other because we're best mates, but that's it."

"Are you going to talk James up to me now?" Lily asked bitterly.

"Firstly, I didn't do that last time." Lily scoffed. "And secondly, James cares about you more than you know. I know that he's a pain in the arse, but he's grown up a lot since I've met him and he deserves a little credit."

Lily turned back towards Remus, her brow raised. "Did he apologize to you?"

"He didn't need to." Remus said.

"Then why are you still sticking up for him?"

"He's not mad at me, Lils. He's hurt that I didn't trust him. I can't fault him for that."

"You know, I'm a catch." Lily said, causing Remus to smile at her. This conversation was throwing him, but he was doing his best to remain calm and follow along. "There are lots of blokes who wouldn't think twice if I gave them the option."

"I know that." Remus said.

"Why can't you be more like them?"

"You wouldn't like me at all if I were more like them."

"Pah. I don't like you right now."

"Pah."

"I made a new friend while you were gone. I don't need you anymore." She reached for the broom again and continued sweeping the floor.

"Oh! Speaking of Mary, I need to tell someone about Lance before I-"

"No!" Lily spun on her heel and pointed a finger at him. "I don't want to know his secret!"

"I think you'll appreciate it." Remus said. "And I know you don't like secrets, but I _really_ need to tell someone."

"I'm friends with Mary! Do you know how hard it would be for me to keep from telling her that I knew?"

"Lily-"

"No! Tell, Sirius or James or whoever."

"I can't tell Sirius or James."

"Why not?"

"If you would just let me tell you the secret, then you'd understand."

Lily chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. She was getting better at keeping secrets, was she not? She hadn't told James that she had kissed Remus, she had kept Bella's secret for as long as she needed too, she hadn't told anyone a great number of things. She looked over at Remus and he was looking at her with bright eyes and a small smile and Lily started to notice what he had been telling her all along. He was looking at her eagerly, and her stomach was as solid as ever, her palms were dry, her face wasn't flushing. She still firmly believed that she and Remus could be happy together, but maybe she should be looking for something more than just friendship. "I think I've learned enough secrets for one day, but maybe I'll let you tell me tomorrow."

Remus let out a big dramatic sigh. "Oh all right."

oOoOo

Lance wasn't in the knight's quarter, but that didn't surprise James. Lance didn't live in the knight's quarters, and didn't spend much of his free time there, or with the other knights. He spent most of his time at Hagrid's. The only reason James had checked at all was because Hagrid's was a thirty-minute walk from the castle, and it was still bloody cold out.

And since they were going to Hagrid's, they had to pass Lily's house on their way. James looked over at Sirius, who was looking at the small house.

"I think this is the first time I've been here." He said, slowing his pace before James could ask him to do so. "You think Remus is still here?"

"I don't know." James said, walking up to the door and giving it a sharp knock.

Lily answered the door, and aside from looking a bit surprised, she didn't seem unhappy to see him there. She quickly stepped aside and let them both into the house. Remus was seated at the table with a cup of tea in hand. James nodded at him, and Remus returned the nod.

"Cozy." Sirius said, taking a few steps to stand by the fire."

"Yes, it's a small house." Lily said tersely. "What are you doing here? I thought you were hiding from the guardsmen?"

"We're looking for Lance." James said. "Still hiding, but we need to find him. Well, technically we need to find Dory, but with those two, it's one in the same."

"We came to pick up Remus." Sirius said, rubbing his hands together. "For some reason, Dory actually likes him."

"It is strange isn't it. You're nothing but nice to her and she can't stand you." Remus pretended to think about it while scratching his head. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"I've known Dory my entire life. I'm allowed to pick on her." Sirius said.

"That's all well and good, but we should get moving." James said, waving his hand to try and get them to start moving.

"Right," Remus pushed himself off his chair and handed his teacup to Lily. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You're joking, right?" Lily laughed.

"I didn't think that I was."

"I'm coming with you." Lily said. She walked across the room, setting Remus's teacup on the table as she did. She picked up a thick wool cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I got myself involved in this mess, I should be helping you lot pick up the pieces."

"Lily," James started, but she wasn't having it.

"I mean it. You wouldn't even know that Bella was behind any of this if it weren't for me. I'm coming with you." She wasn't asking his permission, so there really wasn't much he could do. Especially not when he was hiding from anyone who worked in the castle.

"Alright, but we're going to talk to Dory." He said. "And seeing as how you're not her favorite person-"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm rather good at smoothing things over with people. Dory and I'll be friends in no time. Especially when she hears what we're doing." She opened the door and then turned back to them. "What is it that we're doing exactly?"

Sirius laughed and James smiled at her. "We're going to ask her to talk to Bella."

"Well that's incredibly dangerous."

"Remus is going to go with her." Sirius shrugged.

"Yes, alright." Lily bit her lip and glanced over at Remus. "But as far as I know, neither Remus nor Dory has ever tried to murder someone. Bella has."

"Yes, but Bella doesn't know that Remus has magic, so if she tries anything, than she'll be outnumbered and surprised."

"She doesn't know that Dory has magic, does she?" Remus asked.

"No." James said. "So she'll be twice as surprised."

"It's the only plan we've got." Sirius shrugged. "And we've had worse."

"That's comforting." Lily rolled her eyes and then walked out into the street.

oOoOo

Dory had agreed to their plan almost before they had finished explaining it to her. She was ecstatic that they had thought to ask her. Mary had wanted to know why they hadn't asked her, but the surprised look on James' face had answered that question.

So now Dory and Remus were walking up to Bella's quarters, Dory wearing servant garb and carrying a tray of dinner.

Luckily, they had run into Alice in the kitchens, who had been gathering Bella's dinner. She didn't seem entirely comfortable with letting someone else do her job, but Remus held weight with the rest of the servants, even if they didn't understand (or approve of) the relationship between him and the prince and she was a sweet girl anyway.

"So," Dory looked over at Remus as they walked through a corridor on the second floor. "What did Dumbledore say? Does he think you're Emrus as well?"

"What does that matter?" Remus asked. Dory rolled her eyes.

"You know that Dumbledore is- was- the most powerful sorcerer in all of Camelot before the king banned it."

Remus blanched. "I didn't know that."

"He doesn't practice anymore, but he's still a highly respected figure in our world." Remus scratched at the base of his neck. "What did he say."

"He thinks it's possible." Remus muttered.

"I knew it!" Dory smiled and skipped a bit, the glass of milk on the trey sloshing over the edge. "Oops." She balanced the trey with one hand and then waved her hand over the spilled milk. " _Tergeo._ " She muttered. Remus watched as the spilled milk evaporated, leaving the trey as it had been before.

"Where did you learn it?" Remus asked.

"We have a school." Dory shrugged.

"Where?"

"Not too far from here."

"How has it not been discovered?"

"There are powerful protection charms around it so that, unless you have magic, you can't happen upon it accidentally. Though, most people are too afraid to send their kids to school now. There were only five people in my year. Dumbledore used to be the headmaster."

Remus shook his head and Dory could tell that she was overwhelming him. She pressed her lips together and bit her tongue to keep from saying anything else.

"Why are people so afraid of the king?" Remus asked after a moment of walking in silence. They had almost reached Bella's chambers now. "If they have magic, why are they afraid of him?"

Dory struggled with this question sometimes herself, but knew that telling him that wouldn't help him any. "We have a gift, and while it's okay to use that gift to protect ourselves, we also have to make sure that we don't abuse it. We don't want a war."

"That seems to be where we're heading." Remus said.

"It seems that way." Dory nodded. "But you'd be surprised how little the muggles have to do with it."

"I feel like you know more than you're letting on." Remus said, looking over at her.

"I do." Dory said. "But we're on a mission right now." She nodded towards Bella's door. "Can't exactly tell you everything now. Or in the castle." She smiled at one of the guards who had turned when he heard them approaching.

"I'm here to give Lady Bellatrix her dinner." Dory said, stopping in front of the guards.

"You don't look like Lady Bellatrix's maid." He said.

"Alice is sick. I normally work in the kitchens, but someone had to bring the Lady her dinner, so I volunteered."

"And you?" He turned to Remus.

"The king has asked me to relay a message to his daughter." Remus said.

"What is the message?" The guard asked.

"I'm afraid the king has told me to repeat his message to Bella and only Bella."

The guard didn't seem to like this, but he too knew of the relationship between Remus and James and knew that questioning Remus would not be good for himself. He stepped aside and pulled open the door for the both of them.

Dory took a deep breath and then walked into the room. It looked as though a tornado had ripped through and torn apart everything in its path. The drapes that had once been hung near the ceiling now lay in a heap on the floor, portraits were either crooked or on the floor as well, their frames bent or broken. It looked as though the table that Bella normally ate her meals at had been set on fire, and there was still smoke slowly drifting up from it. The chairs had been thrown around the room, and her bed was in a state of complete disarray. Her pillows had been torn apart and feathers littered everything. Her vanity was on its side, the mirror shattered, and her brushes and hair clips and pins weren't in much better condition.

"Lady Bellatrix?" Dory said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. The guardsman closed the door behind her and she jumped slightly.

"What do you want?" Bella snarled from the corner of her room. "I'm not eating. If the king insists on treating me like a prisoner in my own room, than I'm not eating."

"That's all well and good." Dory said, setting the trey onto the smoking table and brushing her hands on her skirt. "I'm not here to get you to eat."

"What are you doing here?" Bella spat, not at Dory, but at Remus. Dory looked over at him and hoped that she appeared as calm as he did. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought that Remus didn't know anything about the power Bella possessed or the plans that she had to murder the king. He looked as if he were about to talk to an old friend. Dory took another deep breath and unclenched her fists.

"I came to make sure that you didn't hurt anyone." Remus said, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to the side.

Bella laughed and stood up. She looked just as deranged as her room looked chaotic. Her hair was always on the wild side, but it was everywhere now, locks of it falling down into her face as well as sticking up in all directions. "And how are you going to do that?"

"It doesn't matter." Dory said, trying to regain Bella's attention. "I've come to ask you some questions."

"I don't know who you think you are, but you have no right to-"

"The name is Meadows." She said, watching Bella's face to make sure that she recognized it. "Dorcas Meadows." Bella stepped back and looked at Dory thoughtfully.

"You're a witch." She said quietly. "I've heard of you."

"And I of you." Dory said. She looked around the room for a moment and then walked over to one of the over turned chairs. She picked it up and then took a seat. She brushed off her skirt and then crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at Bella. "Who are you working for?" She asked. Beating around the bush wasn't going to do any good with Bella. It was better to be direct.

Bella laughed, and Dory started to rethink that decision. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play thick, Bella." Dory said, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on her knees. She clasped her hands together. "Someone is telling you to kill the king, that's why Leefside was set on fire. They needed a diversion so that they could get into the castle and talk to you. Someone wants to dethrone the Potters, that was made very clear in Godric's Hollow. Who is it?"

"That's a very nice theory you've got there, but what makes you think that I've got anything to do with it." Bella asked, picking up a chair of her own and taking a seat directly across from Dory. "And what makes you think that I would ever harm the king? He's like a father to me."

"And that's why you didn't kill him." Dory said. "You tried, but you couldn't." Belle's lip turned up.

"I didn't try to kill him."

"Yes you did. James told Remus."

Bella's eyes flickered over to Remus and then back to Dory. She shrugged. "Alright, fine. I tried to kill him. But no one told me to. He murdered my entire family-"

"He murdered your father." Dory interrupted. "But your sister is alive and well. Andromeda is even married. She had run away from your wretched father years before the fire. Did you know that she has a daughter only a few years younger than you?"

"How do you-"

"Friend of a friend." Dory shrugged. "And you could be angry with the king for killing your father, but no one else is. Not Andromeda, not Narcissa, and I don't think you're upset about it either. Because your father was about as bad as they come. So, maybe you were acting on your own accord when you tried to kill the king… but maybe not."

"You're delving into things that you best leave alone." Bella said quietly. "You just wait," She stood up and took a step towards Dory, Remus did the same. "You think I'm dangerous? You think that my magic is something to fear-"

"I don't remember saying any of that. Unlike you, I've actually learned how to use my magic."

"My father did teach me a few things before he was _murdered_."

"I think saying he was 'put down' would be a more accurate phrase, seeing as how he was an animal."

"You're pushing me, and you're not going to like what happens when I snap."

Dory stood up quickly, the chair teetered behind her before falling back on all four legs. "You're threatening me, and you're not going to like what happens when _I_ snap."

Bella crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. "Enough of these games. I'm not going to tell you anything. You can stop wasting both of our time and leave."

"I'm not leaving until I get what I want."

"Well then you should get comfortable." Dory and Bella sat back down.

"I am comfortable." Dory said, throwing her hands back over her head and lacing them together. "Prepared to stay as long as I need."

Bella shifted in her seat and then crossed one leg over the other. Dory inspected the girl and thought back to when she had known the girl growing up. They had never been friends, had only been formally introduced once, but Bella had always seemed off.

"You act as though I care that you're here." Bella said. "But see, as soon as you leave, I'll be left locked in my room again. At least with you here, I've got things to amuse me."

Dory refrained from rolling her eyes. "Things?" She asked. Bella shrugged. "What did you mean when you said, 'just wait'?"

"What?"

"Just a moment ago, you said, 'just wait.' What is it that we should be waiting for?"

Bella took a deep breath through her nose and ran her tongue along her teeth. "I meant that if you don't stop bothering me, I'm going to set you on fire."

"It does appear that you've been practicing in that area." Remus said, inspecting the table.

"I still don't understand why you're here." She snapped.

"Well, I'll make you a deal. If you answer some of my questions, I'll answer some of yours." Dory looked at Remus with wide eyes. This wasn't part of the plan. He wasn't supposed to tell her anything unless she got violent.

"I have nothing to tell you. And I'm not interested in anything that you could possibly tell me."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, taking a step forward, arms still crossed. "Why am I here? Why don't I seem afraid of you?"

Bella chewed her lip and tightened her arms. Dory couldn't believe it, but it seemed as if he had peeked her interest. She was tapping her foot now. "Because you're incredibly thick."

"Or…"

Bella's eye's flickered from Dory to Remus.

"So you'd like to do an exchange of information?" Bella pursed her lips. "Which would work for you, except I don't care whether you can sprout wings during the third week of every month."

"What's his plan?" Dory asked. "We know that they have a leader, we just don't know what his end game is." Bella didn't say anything. "Is James in danger?" She had a reaction to that. "Yes, James. That's why we're here. He's your brother and we both know that you care about him. So, if you're not going to tell us anything else; Is James in danger?"

"Of course he is." Bella snapped. "He's the crown prince. Everyone either loves him, or wants to kill him."

"You know what I mean." Dory had to bite her tongue to stop from saying any more. "Is the man you're working for trying to hurt your brother."

"I'm not working for anyone." Bella said, still resolute. "But if I were, don't you think James would deserve it after that stunt he pulled in Godric's Hollow? You're a witch, how can you-"

"Whoever you're working for had those people killed. James never raised his sword."

"That's not what I heard."

"I was there. I know what happened."

Bella didn't like that. She shifted in her seat before pushing herself up and walking over to the window. There were the remnants of what could have been a teacup near her feet, which Dory just realized were bare.

"These men came to meet us," Remus said gently. "They started shouting at the crowd about how they needed to stand against the 'false prince.' Lord Dolohov shouted that magic was the reason James came into this world, and that magic would take him out. Every single one of the townspeople who stood up for your brother, was slaughtered by these men. James came to talk peace with them, and they murdered people for listening to him."

Dory watched Bella's shoulder rise slowly and then fall. "That makes more sense." She allowed, with her back still to them. Dory opened her moth to say something more, but Remus put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and he shook his head slightly. "James is a good man," Bella went on quietly. "I won't let anyone harm him."

"Who is trying though?" Dory asked, standing up from her chair and stepping away from Remus. "We need a name."

Bella turned around, a scowl back on her face. "I already told you." Her tone as hard and cold as ice. "I don't know."

oOoOo

Peter felt craven.

He would not normally consider himself to be brave, but right now, he knew that he was about as honorable and courageous as larva.

Lucy was being taken care of now by a hired nurse maid. The girl was only a few years older than Lucy and almost as sweet. She had a bed beside her, and woke with her in the night during her coughing fits to fix her a cup of tea or pound on her back to loosen the bile in her lungs.

The gold that he was getting was going to a good cause. If he hadn't been receiving the gold, his sister would still have to take daily trips across town to the cities hospital, and she would still be extremely weak.

Ever since Peter had hired the nurse, she had more energy than ever before. She smiled more, laughed more- she could even finish a complete sentence without having to pause in the middle to take a breath. She was doing so well.

His mother had asked him only once where he was getting all the money to pay for the nurse, and when Peter was reluctant to say, she pressed her lips together, gave him a smile and walked away. She was too glad that her daughter was doing well for the first time in years to press the matter any further.

Peter got the feeling that even if he did tell his mother where the gold was coming from, she wouldn't much care.

Peter had been in the stables when he saw James walk towards town from the west side of the castle. He wasn't sure what the prince had been doing over there, but he saw him walk towards town and he wished he hadn't.

"Five golds for your trouble." The older man said, a charming grin adding oil to his words. "There's another gold piece in it for you if you can tell me why he went to town."

Peter shook his head fervently. "I don't know, my lord." He stammered. "I don't know how he got outside the west castle either. There's no doors over there. Only a few balconies, but all too high to jump from."

"And you have no theories?"

Peter starting wringing his hands and looked down at the ground. "I know that he has friends in town. Not people you'd expect either."

"Do you have names for me?" The man, who had still neglected to tell Peter his name, handed him a gold piece and withdrew a second from his pocket.

"N-names?" Peter asked. He looked down at the six gold pieces and then back up at the man. Six gold pieces would keep Lucy's nurse around for almost a month. And he hadn't used all the gold from the last couple times either. He didn't have to give him Remus's name. "I hardly know anyone's name sir. The commoners don't come in here, and the Lords only shout for their horses."

The man made a sharp clicking noise with his tongue and then nodded. "Very well. You've been a great help, and I thank you for it."

"Yes, my lord."

The man spun around and started walking towards the door, his cloak billowing behind him as he went, though silent as the night. Peter quickly put the gold pieces in his pocket and started fixing up to leave. The gold weighed heavy in his pocket, burned his skin when he touched it, but his sister needed it. His mother needed it.

Peter felt craven, but he didn't feel as though he had any choice in the matter.

oOoOo

Lily had not seen her sister in what felt like a year. In truth, she had seen her sister every night, as the two of the shared a bed. But the sisters had not spoken with one another in quite some time.

So she was caught off guard when she came home around midday and found Petunia seated at the kitchen table, alone.

Lily found this strange, but she couldn't be bothered with whatever had brought Petunia home earlier, because she still hadn't seen Remus since he and Dorcas had gone to speak with Bella and she was starting to think that the worst had happened.

"Lily," Petunia said softly, tapping her fingers along her teacup while Lily hung up her cloak. The younger sister looked up briefly, already thinking of what she was going to make for dinner (while still trying to convince herself that Remus would be just fine.)

"Yes?" She asked, walking up to the counter and opening the cupboards. There was hardly anything in them. She really did need to get a new job. And soon.

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

Lily turned her head, hand still on the cupboard and gave her sister a once over. She didn't appear to be ill, or in any sort of distress, so she didn't understand why she was asking Lily to sit down with her. She was intrigued though, so she closed the cupboard, picked up a teacup and took a seat next to her sister.

Petunia smiled at her, and poured her tea for her. "I've hardly seen you these last few weeks it seems." She said, speaking to her in a tone that Lily wasn't familiar hearing. "What have you been up to?"

Lily was suspicious. Petunia had to want something if she was being nice, right? Lily didn't have anything, but she couldn't think of another reason for the sudden change of heart. She took a sip of tea and then shrugged. "I don't know. I don't feel as though I've been any busier than usual. If anything, I've had a lot more free time."

"Oh?" Petunia was still smiling. "I'd noticed that you'd made some friends."

"Yes." Lily nodded. "I mean, you've met Remus a handful of times, and Mary. I don't think you've met Sirius yet. I didn't like him at first, but Remus kept bringing him round. He sort of grew on me." She smiled a bit and gauged Petunia's reaction.

"Some people are like that. You know, I didn't like Yvvone when I first met her. Can you imagine her and I not being friends now though?" She laughed. "I don't even remember what it was about her that I didn't like." _She's rich._ Lily thought, _You were jealous._ "Anyway, I thought it was a bit strange when the prince came round a while back. I actually thought you might have gotten yourself into trouble." She smiled as though the idea was completely ridiculous now. Lily took a deep breath and sat up straighter.

"Remus was worried about me." Lily said, trying to look impassive. "He didn't know where I was-"

"I know." Petunia interrupted. "But he wasn't the only one worried about you. I asked dad about it later, and he said that the prince walked you home once too. He said that the prince tried to kiss you." She looked so excited that it made Lily squirm.

"It was a misunderstanding."

"Did he think you were someone else?" Her excitement dropped.

"No, he thought I fancied him." Lily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Petunia blinked at her for a moment and then tilted her head forward. "Which you do." She said.

"Petunia-"

"No. How can you _not_ fancy the _prince?_ " She asked, her hand tightening around her teacup. "He's the _prince_."

"I know." Lily took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She should have known that this is where the conversation was headed. Her relationship with the prince was the only thing that would cause Petunia to be nice to her younger sister. "And he's a really nice person, but you can't force yourself to have feelings for someone if you don't." She trailed off, thinking of Remus yet again. She really had been unfair to him. And James come to think of it.

"You can if he's the prince." Petunia said back, her tone now filled with spite. "He's the _prince_." She repeated, hitting the table with an open hand. "If you were to marry him, our family would be able to actually enjoy life instead of worrying about how we're going to flavor our hot water every night." Lily wanted to point out that Petunia didn't do anything to fill the cupboards, but she was mid-rant and didn't let Lily cut in. "I would be a _dutchess_." She started fanning herself. "A _dutchess,_ Lily. And father wouldn't have to work nearly as much as he does. He could even get paid what he deserves for his work. He's already supplying half the Lords with their steel, but they know he needs the money and doesn't haggle. He takes whatever they give him and we end up eating potatoes four nights in a row!"

"Well I'm not going to lie to Jam- the prince, just so your life is more comfortable." Lily pushed her teacup away and stood up. "I'm sorry if it upsets you, but when I get married, it will be for love, not so you can spend your afternoons sipping wine and having someone else empty you latrine." Petunia flinched at that, her mouth pursing.

"Must you talk like that? It's a wonder the prince ever showed any interest in you." She stood up as well. "Fine. If you're going to be stupid about this…" She brushed her hands against her sides and pushed her shoulders back. "You should know that someone has asked me to marry them. He's a baron and owns a sizable amount of land. If I'm not going to be made a dutchess, then I have no reason to refuse him."

Lily blanched at this bit of information. "A baron…"

"Yes. His name is Vernon Dursley. We'll probably get married next month."

"You just decided to marry him not five minutes ago. How can you-"

"I accepted weeks ago." Petunia said. "He's the only man I've been able to find that takes pity on my situation enough to overlook the fact that I don't have a dowry. Though father has promised him that he'd craft him a sword of his own design. Vernon seemed to be quite taken with that idea. And with me for that matter." She smiled and Lily was still reeling from the whiplash that was this conversation.

"Father… why didn't you tell me that you were engaged?"

Petunia shrugged. "Why didn't you tell me that the prince was courting you?"

"He was never- you're getting married?"

"Yes." Petunia said slowly, as though she actually did think Lily was stupid. "And unless you can find yourself something suitable to wear, I'm afraid you won't be allowed to attend."

"What?"

"Well, he's been very understanding, as I've said, but his family wouldn't condone you dressing like… well, you only have three dresses and all three of them are stained and dirty."

"You're punishing me for not marrying the prince?"

"No." Petunia sighed. "I simply won't allow you to embarrass me." With that, she picked up her cloak and walked out the door.

oOoOo

Sirius at the tavern counter with Arden and Frank. Lily and James had been here earlier, until Remus showed up and shared what he had learned with them. Then all three of them had disappeared, leaving Sirius alone. That's when Frank and Arden showed up. Arden was drinking beer, Frank was eating a pile of chicken legs, and Sirius was doing both. The three men hadn't talked for the last twenty minutes that they'd been sitting together, and Sirius hadn't had time to wonder what they were thinking about. His mind was moving at a hundred miles a minute.

It shouldn't be bothering him. Having been called a squib by those men. It wasn't the first time that he had been called that, and he doubted that it would be the last. His family had magic and he did not. He had come to terms with this fact years ago. He was forced to come to terms with it.

" _You needn't have been born with magic. You simply have to take it."_

His head was swimming, so he took another swig from his mug.

" _Those with power weren't born that way, they knew what they wanted and they took it. Do you know what you want?"_

Ever since they had watched those men and women get slain down, he had an uncomfortable feeling that he knew exactly who was behind it, he had been hoping- even praying- that he was wrong, but the more they found out, the more time they waited, the more certain he became.

"You two have been unusually quiet." Frank observed, looking down the counter at Sirius and Arden. When neither one of them immediately disputed this, Frank raised a brow. "Did something happen?" Sirius wanted to scoff at the question. What did he mean by that? He had been there when they watched what those men had done, and how easily they had done it.

"Yes," Arden answered, a dopey grin spreading over his face. "It's just… it's a woman."

"Must be a special woman to have kept your attention this long."

"She's special alright." Arden sighed, dropping his head onto his fist. "A real wench, but sure, she's special as well."

"And you?" Frank asked Sirius. Why had he become a knight? He couldn't remember now. He didn't like these men. They weren't good at _thinking_. They were worried about women during a time like this! He ground his teeth together and then took another drink, finishing off the last of his beer.

"I need to talk to my cousin." Sirius said abruptly, jumping up from his stool and walking towards the door. He heard them call after him, but he didn't stop. It was as he was stepping onto the street that he remembered that he hadn't chosen to become a knight. James had made that decision for him.

He had been living in Camelot for nearly half a year now, and he had not spoken to his cousin once. He wasn't allowed to. She was the king's ward, and he was… well, he might have been a knight, but he was still a drunk. And an embarrassment to their family.

It wasn't hard for Sirius to get up to her room. For the first time in a long time, he was actually stationed above everyone that he came across, and even if they didn't like taking orders from him, they did. Bella was in her room, seated at a small table in front of a fireplace.

She looked taken aback by his sudden appearance.

"Sirius?" She stood and looked around the room. But Sirius had sent her guards away; they were alone. She looked more like the little girl he had grown up with now. He may not have talked to her since coming to Camelot, but he had seen her, walking through the halls, playing at being a royal. She had always looked uncomfortable, trying to appear regal and graceful, when her default state had always been a bit off-kilter and… frizzy.

And this is how she appeared to him now. She had made no attempt to reign in her hair, and her dress fitting was just slightly off, as though she had dressed herself and hadn't been sure what to do with all the ribbons and buttons. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He said, his words clipped and harsh. He hadn't realized he was breathing heavy. "It's been a long time, cousin."

"You're not upset that I haven't come to see you," She smiled at him, amused at the thought. "Because even if that were appropriate, you have to know that I wouldn't-" But he wasn't in the mood for her folly.

"Who are you working for, Bella?" He asked, hands clenched at his sides.

"I'm not working for anyone." Bella said immediately becoming guarded while not meeting his eyes. They were family, she couldn't look in his eyes while she lied. He had her father's eyes. He watched her shift uncomfortably and though he couldn't have said how, he suddenly knew for certain.

"You're working for _Voldemort?"_ He hissed. Her eyes flashed to his, making her confession for her. The weight of the truth hit him harder than he was prepared for, and he stumbled back a few steps. "Voldemort?" He repeated quietly. "Do you have any idea who that is?"

"It seems as though you do." Bella said quietly, standing up straighter.

"He- he…" Sirius put his hands on either side of his head and looked down at the ground. _"We just have to take it, Sirius." "Does it hurt them? Taking their magic?" "No. They don't feel a thing."_

"He what?" Bella drew him back to the present. She was trying to appear confident, but Sirius could tell that she was slightly anxious about what he was trying to tell her. She obviously hadn't been prepared for anyone to know Voldemort.

"He killed Regulus."

A heartbeat of silence.

"No." She said. " _You_ killed, Regulus." Even after all these years, hearing it said allowed pained Sirius more than anything else he'd ever experienced. He started shaking his head, his stomach churning. He had known that there would come a day that he would have to face him again, the man that took his brother's life, and ended Sirius's at the same time, but he wasn't ready. This man, this _monster_ , was coming after his friends. He was trying to destroy everything that Sirius had, _again_.

"He took Reg's magic. He took his magic, and it killed him."

He could see that his words were resonating with her. "He said that he was taking power-"

"He meant it literally, Belle."

"Don't call-" She didn't bother correcting him. "He took his magic? Why?"

Sirius flinched. "Because he was showing me how to do it."

"You let him kill-"

"No! I didn't know that Reg was going to get- that he was going to-"

"Die?" Bella finished. "You didn't know that stripping someone of their magic would kill them?"

"How would I have known that? No one ever-"

"Don't try and blame what you did on someone else."

"I'm not! I made a mistake, but Voldemort killed, Reg. You can't work for him."

Bella drew a deep breath and let it fill her chest. "I don't agree with everything he's done- or even everything that he's doing now," She managed to look him in the eyes. "But he's trying to help people like me, and I can't very well be picky about who I accept help from."

"He's starting a war! Innocent people are going to die-"

"No! People who wish for magic to remain a crime will die! People who would rather people like me be locked up are going to die! Innocent people will be spared."

Sirius looked over his cousin and could tell that she honestly believed that. "How many times have you met him?" He asked quietly. He had only been a child when he was swayed by Voldemort's pretty words and promises. He had fallen for Voldemort's trap because he had been promised exactly what he had wanted; somewhere that he belonged. His cousin was still searching for where she belonged, and Voldemort seemed to be preying on that desperate need. "Have you ever seen him display any sort of kindness?"

"He's agreed to spare James' life." Bella said, but she had faltered and Sirius didn't believe her. He gave her a look and she threw her hands in the air. "And I've already promised to keep James safe anyway."

"And King Charles?"

"What about him? I can't help him. He's made enemies of nearly ever witch and wizard in the realm. I doubt even the Gods could save him now."

"Why haven't you killed him yourself? I've heard that you've been trying." He didn't sound upset about this, simply curious.

Bella shook her head. "I haven't decided whether or not I'm still upset with him."

There was as sudden clash of steel on steel and both Sirius and Bella turned towards the closed doors. "What is that?" Sirius asked, looking back at Bella. " _Who_ is that?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Bella?" Someone from the corridor called. Sirius looked at her with a raised brow.

"We should hide." He said, looking around the room.

"I will not hide." Bella spit.

"Right, everyone should fear you." Sirius felt like rolling his eyes, but he was certain that whoever was in the corridor would not mind killing him, and finding a hiding place was more important than expressing his discontent. Under the bed seemed to obvious, as did the drapes (which were on the floor anyhow) so he jumped inside of the wardrobe and just before he pulled it closed he locked eyes with Bella. "Are you going to let me live, or should I not bother hiding?"

Bella didn't have time to answer him, because her door was thrown open. Sirius closed the wardrobe and held his breath.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" He'd heard that voice before. It was Rabastan Lestrange.

"I did." Bella said. "I also heard a lot of fighting. I decided that I was more comfortable in my room."

"He's here." Rabastan said quietly. "He's not happy either. Why didn't you kill the king?"

"I meant to…" Bella trailed off and Rabastan let out a sigh of frustration.

"You're a ridiculous, child."

"And you're an insufferable, fool. Voldemort is here, and you want to lecture me? What is he doing here?"

"What do you think he's doing here? He's come to do what you couldn't. He's mostly likely already found the prince-"

"What?" Sirius's blood ran cold.

"He's come for more than just the king's head." Rabastan said, calm as ever. "We need to make him sweat a bit first."

"He's not supposed to harm James." Bella seethed. "I told him that no one was to-"

"And he told you to kill the king. Neither one of you listened to the other."

"Is she coming?" A new voice entered the fray.

"How do we stand?"

"James, his servant and some girl have been taken. I don't believe that anyone knows that we're here yet, but it's only a matter of time."

"Some girl?" Bella asked. "Who's the girl?"

"Some redhead."

"Lily?" Bella nearly chocked. "Why would he take, Lily? She was my servant girl, what's she done?"

"What do you care?" Rabastan said. "You fired her, didn't you? Are you coming with us, or staying here? Keep in mind that staying now, would be declaring yourself against the Dark Lord."

"I'm not against him." She said quietly.

"Then come on." There were rushed footsteps and Sirius threw open the wardrobe to find Bella alone in the room. She looked at him, her gaze more intent than he'd ever seen it.

"Save them." She said, before disappearing from the room.


	19. The End of an Era

**AN: Here is the next chapter! A bit later than I wanted to post it today, but I got called into work an hour early so I couldn't finish editing it before I left today. Anyway, hope you like it and don't forget to review!**

* * *

 _"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart."_  
 _― Eleanor Roosevelt_

 **Chapter Nineteen: The End of and Era**

* * *

For the second time in his life, and for the second time since entering Camelot, Remus found himself thrown into a dungeon. He had no idea where he was, but he was sure that they were no longer in Hogwarts.

The binds on his wrists were tight, cutting off the circulation in his hands, and the gag was pushing his tongue against the back of his throat, but the blindfold was causing him more distress. He was stumbling around the blackness, led by rough hands and harsh words, until suddenly he was pushed forwards. He fell down a few steps and his face hit cold stone. Pain shot throughout his body, and he felt his nose snap. He tried to cry out in pain, but his gag prevented him from doing anything more than moaning.

It wasn't long until he felt a large object fell on top of him. And then a second. Both let out moans of their own and squirmed away from him. He heard a door slam shut and swung his arms under him, placed his foot in between the binds and then used his leg to push the binds off. He dislocated both his thumbs in the process, but he got the binds off and pushed the blindfold away from his face. The room was pitch black even without the blindfold, but creating fires had never been a problem for Remus.

He pulled the gag from his mouth and held out his slightly mangled hand. " _Incendio_." He muttered. Suddenly there was a small ball of fire floating above his hand. He muttered a few healing spells and his nose and thumbs were quickly put back into place. Then he turned towards the two people who had been thrown into the room after him and was not surprised when he saw James and Lily. He tossed the fireball into the air, where it floated just below the ceiling now.

He muttered another spell and the binds all fell from James and Lily. Lily took a deep breath once her gag was removed and James quickly jumped to his feet.

"Stay quiet." Remus said quickly, fearing that if James started to shout they would come back and ask how their binds had been removed so quickly without injury.

"Who were they?" Lily asked, pushing herself off the ground as well.

"Bloody cowards, that's who." James muttered, kicking at the floor. "How the hell did they get into the castle?"

"We weren't exactly in the castle." Lily said, wringing her hands and looking up at the fireball that Remus had created. Remus glanced up at it too and then back at Lily. They weren't in a situation where he had the option of being gentle with either one of them about his magic. "Why did they take us, would be the better question."

"Because Bella didn't kill the king," Remus sighed, rubbing at his temple. "She tried twice, but she failed. Whoever she's working for is probably come to-" He broke off and looked over at James. The prince took a deep breath and looked away from both of his cellmates.

"We weren't fast enough." He said quietly. "We were scrambling around without a real plan or means to prevent this from happening. My father didn't listen to me so we gave up."

"Why would they be doing this now though?" Lily asked. "You just got back from Godric's Hollow this morning. Wasn't their purpose in murdering those people to make everyone think horribly of you?"

"They already do." James sighed. "It's been what, four days now? Four days since I was in The Hollows and I'd be willing to bet that everyone with magic knows their version of what happened. They have ways of communicating."

"How do you know that?" Remus asked, because he had magic and he didn't know that.

"Dory told me. You were there. They use owls and a patro-patron- I don't know what it's called." He started tapping his leg. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"Getting out isn't the problem." Remus said. "It's what we're going to do once we're out."

"And what's on the other side of the door." Lily said.

"Right, you have magic." James shook his head. "What can you do with it?"

Remus shrugged. "I've never really had the opportunity to find out."

"Well, I think you're about to have an opportunity." Lily said with a tight-lipped smile. James looked over at Lily and took a step towards her until thinking better of it, and crossing his arms over his chest instead.

"You're going to be alright, Lily." He said forcefully. "Remus and I won't let anything happen to you."

"Don't start making promises that you can't keep." Lily said with a small smile. She didn't seem as nervous as Remus would have expected her to be.

"I fully intend to keep that promise." James walked up to the door and laid his head against it. Remus was quiet while James listened and Lily held her breath. She glanced back up at the floating ball of fire and then down at Remus.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" He whispered.

"No. I'm just trying to work out how it's possible."

"If you do that, let me know." Remus said, stepping up to the door. "Hear anything?"

"No."

"That doesn't mean that no one is there."

"I know that. They all have magic, right? There could be magic on the door." James looked at Remus. "Can you tell if there's magic on the door?"

Remus put his hands on the door and looked as though he was concentrating really hard. "Yeah, I can feel it."

"You can feel it?"

Remus shook his head. "No, James. You can't feel magic."

James sighed and pushed away from the door. "Now isn't the time for jokes, Remus."

"Thought it might help calm you down."

"I don't need to be calm right now, I need to be alert. We need to find out what's on the other side of this door and get back to the castle before they kill my father."

"He has all the knights around him," Lily said, walking up and putting a hand on his arm. "I'm sure that your father is going to be alright."

"They snuck into Camelot." James hung his head. "They have Bella helping them, I'm sure they already have my father."

"They have us too." Remus said. "And they kept all three of us alive, which means that they have to have some sort of plan. If they didn't, we would be dead."

"That would be comforting, except we don't know who these people are, what they want, how many of them there are, or where they are. We know absolutely nothing and who knows when people are going to notice that we're missing, it wasn't as if we were somewhere that I should be, somewhere that people could watch out for me, with people who-" He stopped himself and looked away.

"Sounds pretty bad," Lily said. James looked over at her and pressed his lips together. "But we're going to be just fine."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because you bloody well just promised me that we were going to be fine." She huffed and then leant against a wall. "What are you thinking, Remus?"

"We need to work out where we are." He said, turning to James. "Which means you need to think for a moment, we couldn't have gone all that far, but we're not in Hogwarts. Where could they have taken us? Do the nobles have dungeons in their homes?"

"They shouldn't." James said. "But I don't know where else we could… The old armory!"

"What?" Remus asked as James ran a hand through his hair.

"Of course! Part of the west wing collapsed about a hundred years ago and we moved the training grounds and armory to a field out behind the castle. I used to play back here when I was a kid. This isn't really a dungeon, just a room in the armory! The whole building is mostly underground, the entrance is at a base of a large willow tree, not something you'd know about unless someone told you."

"Does Bella know about it?"

"No."

"Which means she's not the only one working for… whoever took us captive." Remus went up to the door again and pressed his ear against it. There had to be some spell that would allow him to hear what was on the other side, but he didn't know of one. Ever since he'd been learning spells, his magic was much more controllable, but it was harder to just do magic. "Should we just open the door?"

"I've got no sword." James said wearily.

Remus held up his hand and the fireball floated back towards him. "You don't need one."

"Get behind me." James said to Lily.

"What are you going to do if someone attacks us?"

"Just get behind me." James sighed. Lily shook her head, but complied. Remus nodded at them and when they nodded back and waved his free hand over the door.

"Alohomora." He whispered. He heard the lock click, and then pulled at the handle.

oOoOo

Severus stood at the edge of the throne room and watched as the King of Camelot stood before his own throne and begged for his son's life. He wasn't on his knees, as Severus had hoped he would be, but it was still satisfying to hear his voice waiver, and watch his face pale at the thought of harm befalling his only son.

"Where are my children?" Charles asked, bringing a hand up and running it through his hair. Voldemort sat in the throne, one leg thrown over the other and the king's ceremonial robes draped over his shoulders, and a large, extravagant crown rested on top of his greying hair.

"You have no children." He said slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Bellatrix belongs to my family more than yours and you shouldn't even have James. If the Gods saw fit for you to have a child, you wouldn't have needed to use magic-"

"WHERE ARE THEY?"

The hall fell silent. Voldemort slowly stood up and removed the crown, letting it fall to the ground, small red and gold jewels broke free from their facets and it rolled to the king's feet.

"I'd watch myself if I were you." Voldemort hissed. "One wrong move and your son might just lose his head."

"I've never responded well to threats."

"And I've never been one to repeat myself."

"I find that it can be helpful when you wish to emphasize something." Charles shifted his weight from one foot to the other and scanned the room. "Have you harmed either one of my children?"

"They're both still alive." Voldemort started walking towards Charles now, his hands clasped behind his back and the large red cloak billowing out behind him. "For now."

"And what is it you want me to do?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play games with me." Charles snapped. "You're not just keeping them hostage for fun. What do you want from me? How do I get them back?"

"You're not going to." Voldemort stopped walking and cocked his head to the side. "See, by the time that today is over, you will be dead. Though I suppose you do have some say over what happens to James. He doesn't have to die, some people close to me have already asked me to spare his life."

"Who close to you is a fan of my son?" For his credit, Charles did not seem all that concerned that his life had been given an expiration date.

"You like to call her your daughter." Voldemort's lips curled up at the corners and Charles blanched.

"Bella?" He shook his head and took a step back. "She's not working for you- she can't be working for you-"

"She is." Voldemort nodded towards Severus and he turned towards the oak doors he had been standing beside and reached for the handle. When the door opened, Rabastan came in, dragging Bella behind him. He was trying to make it look like he wasn't dragging her, but Bella didn't appear as though she wanted to be anywhere near the Throne Room.

"Let go of me," She snapped, wrenching her arm out of his grasp and taking a few steps to the side. "Lay your hands on me again and see what happens."

"I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised about the Lestranges." Charles said, looking down at the floor. Bella's eyes snapped up towards him and then over to Voldemort.

"What are you doing with him?" She asked quietly.

Voldemort looked between Bella and the king for a moment and then sighed. "I actually have a question for you if that's alright. Why is he still alive?" Bella started chewing on her lip and then brushed at the sides of her dress. "Bella?" She shrugged one of her shoulders and then shook her head.

"I don't know. I didn't want to kill him."

"And why's that?" Voldemort asked, his tone sharpening.

"I remembered how horrible my father was and I couldn't really think of anything horrible that the king had done to me and… Well, it's not as though I've killed anyone before. It's not as easy as you make it sound." Severus had never met or seen Bella before now and she was nothing like he had thought she would be. Her hair was wild, her dress crooked, she didn't appear to be wearing any shoes and she was stupid if she thought she was going to get away talking to the Dark Lord as she was. "Is it my turn to ask a question now? How come my brother is being held hostage? You want to explain that? I told you that he wasn't to-"

"WHY," Voldemort interrupted, spinning around on his heel. He started marching towards her and Severus didn't know what to think when she stood her ground, even managed to look slightly bored. "Do you think that you get to make any of the orders around here? I thought about keeping your precious prince safe as a way to make sure you would continue to do as you were told, but here we are," He held his hands out, presenting the room to her. "In the throne room, with King Charles."

"James is a good man. He's done nothin-"

"Nothing wrong?" He laughed. "Have you not heard what happened in the Hallows? Did you not hear how James Potter had six men and women executed for practicing magic? He had no proof, they had no trial-"

"YOUR MEN KILLED THOSE PEOPLE!" Bella shouted, taking a step forward and clenching her fists at her side. Sparks were erupted from her hands and there was trace amounts of steam coming out her ears. "You killed witches and wizards because they were willing to listen to James, willing to make _peace_ with the royal family and that didn't fit your agenda. You needed to make James a bad guy-"

"Enough." Voldemort waved his hand and Bella's voice ceased. "I've given you chance after chance, Bella, and if your father hadn't been such a good friend of mine I would let you burn with the rest of your new family. However, I can't blame you for how you've turned out. This man," He placed a hand on Charles' arm, "Has corrupted your mind. He's done that to a lot of people." Bella waved her own hand over her mouth.

" _Do not use magic on me._ " Her voice came out strained, as though she were trying to stay calm, enunciating every word. "You lied to everyone about what happened in the Hallows."

"Not everyone." Rabastan said quietly, but not quietly enough. Bella spun around to face him and then turned back to Voldemort.

"You lied to _me_. You spread false rumors about my brother to turn _me_ against him?"

"That was not my only reason, but I did think that it might give you a push in the right direction."

"The right-"

"Enough of this," Voldemort walked back over to the throne and took a seat. "It's time to say goodbye to Charles I think."

"You said there was something I could do to save my children." Charles turned away from Bella. His voice was still steady and even.

"Child." Voldemort corrected. Charles turned to Bella, who kept glancing up at him and then down at her bare feet, but she didn't correct Voldemort and Charles sighed and looked at the ground. "And it's really up to Bella." Both the king and Bella narrowed their eyes.

"What's up to me? I've already asked you to spare James' life."

"I need to know that you'll do as you're asked. So far all you've proven is that you are incapable of following even the most simple of instructions. What happened to the poison I gave you?"

"I dropped it." Bella pushed her hair over her shoulder and shrugged. "It was an accident."

"Was it?" He sneered at her and then turned to the king. "You're going to die tonight, but James can live so long as Bellatrix is the one to kill you." There were a few mutters from the men lining the walls, one or two who decided that it was appropriate to laugh, and Severus just stared at the man that they had all pledged to follow.

He understood why the king needed to die; you couldn't start a new world and let the old world leader live. They needed to legitimize the Dark Lord's rule, and killing the king was the simplest way to do that. He did not however, see the merit of having Bellatrix kill that man who had stood in as her father for the last six years. What was this going to prove? If Bellatrix didn't want to work with them, than she was against them and he should throw her in the dungeons with the false prince she called her brother.

"You have pledged your loyalty to me, Bella. Now you must prove it." There was more muttering around the room and that's when Severus understood what he was doing. He wasn't taking over the Kingdoms with the hopes of spreading peace and leniency, he was here to impose change upon people who had lived in fear of magic and anything different from them for as long as they could remember, their whole lives in many cases. The Dark Lord didn't have the option of showing mercy, mercy didn't ignite change, mercy didn't empower people or motivate them to do things differently.

Having someone kill their own father though, Severus didn't think that was entirely justifiable.

"What?" Her voice was small now, and she seemed to have shrunk within herself. Even her hair seemed a bit less wild.

"You heard me, sweet one. Kill the king or you'll watch me kill both the king and the false prince."

oOoOo

The first thing that Sirius had done after leaving Bella's chambers was head down to the armory and find himself some armor. He didn't think so highly of himself that he assumed that he would be recognized by everyone who was working for Voldemort, but he wasn't thick. He had met a lot of unsavory people in his youth and he knew that he looked like a Black. He needed to cover his face.

It took him quite a bit of time to get down to the armory because Voldemort had people standing guard all over the castle. Where the castle guard had stood not half an hour ago, now stood strange men with hand-made masks made to look like skulls. The castle guard had abandoned their posts in some cases, but those who had refused now lay slumped against the walls.

When he finally reached the armory, the door was locked. He yelled in frustration and kicked at the base. He needed to get in there, he didn't even have a sword to protect himself and he was supposed to find Remus, James and Lily.

"Is anyone in there?" He shouted, banging on the door again, looking behind him to make sure that no one was there. "Open the fucking door!" He shouted again. He heard people shuffling around inside and started pounding again. "It's Sirius, open the door."

"Sirius?" It was Dory. The latch dropped and she pushed the door open. Sirius stormed in and pushed past her. Lance and Mary were sitting on the bench closest to the door and a few other knights sat along the other benches.

"What are you all doing?" Sirius asked, feeling blood rush to his face. "You're all knights of Camelot and you're hiding in the Armory while the castle is under attack?"

"They have magic, Sirius." Mary said, quietly.

"We were fighting!" One of the new recruits shouted. "But they-"

"Fabian and Gideon are dead." Lance cut in. "They were right in front of me and- I couldn't do anything. There was a flash of light and- Gideon dropped. Fabian looked as though someone had torn out his insides and then he lunged at the man, but- There was another flash. There was nothing that I could do." Lance was rambling, his voice quiet and soft. Mary put a hand on his shoulder.

Sirius had nothing to say for a moment as he digested what Lance had just said. Fabian and Gideon were dead. That didn't make any sense. They were two of the most brazen and talented knights, how could they be dead? "Are you sure that they're dead? Maybe they were hit with a knock out hex, what color was the light?"

Mary and Dory turned to look at Lance, both looking hopeful. "Green." He said quietly, his helmet muffling his voice. Dory swore and stomped her foot on the ground and Mary fell onto the bench.

"Well," Sirius cleared his throat and looked across the room. "We can't just sit here. They have the king in the throne room and they've kidnapped the prince as well. We're knights of Camelot, aren't we? We can't just sit here and let the kingdom be overtaken."

"They have James?" Arden stood up, his face blotchy and tear stained. "Where are they holding him?"

"I'm not sure." Sirius said, walking over to the sidewall and unhooking his armor. Dory got up and helped him into it as he kept talking. "I was talking to my cousin when Rabastan Lestrange walked in told her that James, Remus and Lily had been taken."

"We need to split up." Lance said. "Half of us need to go to the throne room to protect the king and half of us need to go and find James. It's our job, it's what we signed up for. Life or death we will protect the castle."

"That's a nice sentiment, but we're all going to find James, Remus and Lily." Sirius said, now finished with his armor and attending to his sword. "The throne room is surrounded by wizards, and he's not alone inside either. Not only is Bella inside, but a lot of other powerful wizards and their leader. Going after the king would be a suicide mission."

"We can't leave the king to die." Lance stood up.

"Before I came in here, you all seemed rather content to just sit on your arses and do nothing." He said harshly. "The king is about to reap what he's sewn, there's nothing that we can do for him. Our priority should be getting civilians out of the castle safely and rescuing the prince."

"We should go after the king and Lady Bella." The knight that spoke was older than most of the others, he had been appointed by the king when James was very young. He was highly decorated with a great number of victories to his name. Sirius did not give a rat's arse about any of this.

"Bella is working with these men that have invaded the castle. It's going to be up to her whether or not the king dies, but there's nothing that we can do about it. We can however, go and find the prince. If the king does die, we need to make sure that the kingdom will have a ruler to look up to, and if he doesn't die, I'm sure his first decree will be to lob off all of our heads for not doing our jobs and rescuing his son." After this, many other knights tried to weigh in on the subject but Sirius was done talking. He walked over to Lance and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you with me?"

"Of course." Lance said without hesitating.

"Good." He turned to Mary and Dory. "I think you two would be rather helpful."

"You think." Dory said, finding it necessary to role her eyes despite the dire circumstances. Soon Arden, Amos, Frank and a knight who went only by the name Williamson were heading out to door. The eight of them snuck out the back door while the rest of the knights continued to argue about whether they should be saving the prince or the king. Sirius made sure to slam the door very loudly in hopes of shocking them out of their stupidity.

"Alright," Sirius said. "You four know the castle better than we do. If you had kidnapped the prince, where would you take him?"

"The dungeons." Williamson said surely. "These men have all but taken over the castle, if I were them I would start using the dungeon."

"They are arrogant enough to do that." Arden said with a nod.

"But they haven't taken the castle yet." Sirius said, shaking his head. "I heard Rabastan say that they wanted to make the king sweat a bit before they did anything, so they have to keep James somewhere safe where we can't get to him. It wouldn't be in the castle-"

"There's the old armory out behind the castle." Frank said. "It's mostly empty now and not the many people know about it, but it would be perfect for a holding cell. A lot of the nobles know about it because we used to play down there when we were kids, the Lestranges included."

"I forgot about the armory." Amos said, nodding his head. "Rodolphus locked Calvin Greengrass in there for two days- I bet you anything that's where they're holding James."

"Alright," Sirius nodded. "Lead the way."

oOoOo

The door's latched gave way quietly, and Remus held up a hand behind him as he slowly pushed the door back creating a crack wide enough for him to see through. There were only two guards standing in the corridor, and they had their backs to the door. They were stocky with dark hair and they were talking to one another but Remus couldn't make out what they were saying. What he thought was most notable was that they were wearing armor and carrying swords. He pushed the door closed again and turned around to face James and Lily.

"I don't think they have magic." He said.

"Who?" Lily asked just before James could.

"There are two men outside the door, but they have swords."

"Couldn't they have both magic and swords?" James asked.

"They could," Remus said, "But I don't think they would. You remember those men in the Hallows? They didn't wear armor or carry swords. They're far too arrogant for that. If they have magic, they have no need for any other form of protection."

"Well, either way, can't you just use your magic to knock them out or something?" Lily suggested.

"I've never used my magic on people before." Remus said, shifting his weight back and forth from one foot to the other. "It's much more complex than manipulating a door hinge or cleaning up messes." He'd been reading up on jinxes and hexes ever since they came back from the Hallows but he hadn't practiced any and he wasn't confident that he'd be able to do it.

"Well don't Dory and Mary think that you are some kind of magical prophet?" James asked, looking more uncomfortable than Remus felt.

"I don't think that's what they think I am-"

"Those are the words that Mary used." Lily nodded. "Magical prophet. Emrus she called you."

"How many are there?" James asked, looking back at the door.

"Two." Remus said.

"That's it? And you don't think they have magic?" He stepped up to the door and pushed it open slowly. "I've got this." He whispered, and before Remus could stop him, he slipped out the door and closed it behind him. Remus turned towards Lily with wide eyes and she shook her head in astonishment.

"What is he doing?" She asked, walking up to the door and trying to listen. There was a loud thump and then a clash of metal on metal. "We should help him." She pushed the door open just in time to see James knock the second guard over the head with the hilt of his sword. The first guard was already on the ground, unconscious.

"Where did you get that?" Lily asked, nodding towards the sword.

"Nicked it from the first one." He nodded towards the guard.

"Of course." Lily took a deep breath and then looked around the room. "Where are we?"

"The main room of the armory. We don't use this place anymore, but no one's ever cleaned it out either." He walked across the room and opened a door that had no locks on it. Remus walked up beside him and raised his brow.

"Why was this not moved up to the castle armory?"

"I honestly forgot that it was here until now, but I guess we're lucky it was all forgotten about." He moved forward and started dressing himself in chainmail and armor. Remus stepped forward to help him but James shook his head.

"No, you need to get your own armor on." He said. "There's plenty to go around and I don't know what we're going to walk into once we get out of here. You need to be protected." He turned towards Lily to tell her to do the same, but she had already started fitting a breast plate over her head. She picked up a sword and spun it through the air, testing the feel of it before sheathing it in her belt. Remus almost laughed when James' jaw slacked. "W-Where did you learn to handle a sword like that?" He asked, clearing his throat and picking up a shield.

Lily shrugged, but looked proud of herself. "My dad's a blacksmith. He taught me a thing or two."

"It seems like he taught you a bit more than a thing or two." She shrugged again. James shook his head and switched his focus back to the problem at hand. "Alright, we're going to open the main door, and I expect that there will be a few more guards out there, if they don't have magic, than I want you two to stay behind me until I disarm them, then we will move to the castle and find my father. Understand?" They nodded.

James moved out ahead of them, walking quickly and keeping his sword out and at the ready. "I just had a thought." Remus said, stopping James from opening the door. He turned back. "Why would people without magic be following these men? What do they have to gain? What are they going to do for them?"

"I think that's a puzzle for later." James said.

"Maybe they put them under some sort of spell?" Lily suggested, keeping her eyes trained on the door and James reached towards the latch.

"But why would they have men without magic guarding us?" Remus pressed. "It doesn't make sense."

"They don't know that you have magic." James said, testing the latch now. It wasn't locked.

"But they left us in a locked room guarded by two non-magical people, in an armory filled with weapons and armor. Doesn't it seem like it was too easy?"

James sighed and pushed open the door. "No," He said quietly. "I don't think they made it too easy." He pushed the door open further to reveal more than a dozen men standing outside, all wearing armor, but not all carrying swords.

"Four without swords." Lily said, looking to Remus.

"I told you, I've never used my magic on people before!"

"Well, you're going to have to work out how." James said. "I'm not just going to sit here while my father is in danger." With that, he charged out the door.

oOoOo

Sirius had started running the moment his feet hit the earth. He could see James exactly where they had assumed he would be, only he wasn't locked up, at least not anymore. James, Remus and Lily were surrounded by at least twelve men and they were closing in on them fast.

He was still too far away to be helpful when he saw the first sword raise in the air. It swept down towards Lily, who in turn, raised her own sword and met the blow with much more force than Sirius would have thought possible for someone her size. She pushed up and the sword fell back, and James had stepped forward with his own sword drawn before her assailant could try and strike another blow.

Sirius could feel his lungs burn as he struggled to pull in oxygen fast enough to race across the field. He could make out the whites of Remus's eyes when he saw them flash and every single person surrounded them was knocked off their feet and thrown back five or six feet. By the time they had gained their bearings, Sirius, Mary and Arden had reached them and went in for the attack before they could fully register their arrival.

"For Camelot!" Arden shouted and his sword slashed through one man's chainmail as though it were lace and opened his throat in one fluid movement. Arden had his sword up against a second man before the first had fallen to the ground.

Sirius fought his way to the middle of the brawl, more concerned with reaching James, Remus and Lily than with dropping the enemy. He needed to be near them, be able to stop immediate strikes against them. He saw sparks fly somewhere to his left and then heard Mary shout with malice a word he had never heard before. A burst of red light had another man on the ground. Sirius used his sword to push a man off of him and then grabbed another man's helmet with his free hand and threw him on the ground, pushing forward. He reached out and grabbed Remus's shoulder. He spun around rather quickly, his eyes wide and Sirius saw him relax the moment their eyes met. They nodded and then turned their backs toward one another.

By now, the entire party had reached the fight and they had proven themselves to be a formidable opponent. Shouts of 'For Camelot!' and 'For the crown!' rang out and every time another man would fall. Before long only one man was left to fight Dory and Mary who stood side by side and took turns sending bursts of light in the man's direction. He would raise his arms and shout back at them, producing his own bursts of light but most of it seemed to be only able to protect him from whatever they were sending his way.

"Argh!" He screamed in frustration and Dory turned to Remus and waved him over. Sirius looked at Remus who suddenly looked panic stricken. Mary however, didn't notice Dory's plea for help and had taken the time he used to show his anger to send another spell his way. The man was hit square in the chest and then his entire body froze as though he were being transformed into stone. Dory had turned her attention back to him and threw another spell at him, shattering him to thousands of tiny pieces.

There was a moment where everyone just looked around the field tried to catch their breath, and make sure that they were safe for the time being. Sirius reached over and put a hand on Remus's shoulder. He looked over at James and Lily, noticing that the later was clad with a sword. He nodded at her, "Did you watch James' blind spot?"

"I don't have a blind spot-"

"His back left, yeah." Lily stabbed the ground with her sword and pushed a lock of hair out of her face. Sirius let go of Remus and pulled Lily in for a hug.

"I'm so glad that you guys are alright."

"We knew you were on your way." Lily said, pushing off his chest.

"Where is my dad?"

Sirius looked over at James and pressed his lips together. After a moment, "He's in the Great Hall."

oOoOo

He had burst through the doors, had seen his father standing there, alive, in the middle of the room. When he had looked around, he saw that there weren't all that many people there, not as many as they had just fought out in the yard, they could do this, they could save the king before any harm came to him.

He had his sword drawn when he heard his father yell something, and when he had turned his head in his father's direction, he saw Bella standing not that far from him. She had looked at James, looked him square in the eyes and James had never seen her look so frightened. His father had yelled again and Bella tore her gaze away from James and looked at the king instead. Looking determined, she had sent a pulse of bright green light directly at his chest.

His father had looked quite stunned for a moment, and then, as though he had simply lost the use of his legs, he had fallen to the ground in a heap.

James had felt, but not heard, himself yelling as he ran towards his father. He hadn't registered the soft 'pops' around the room, or noticed that the men in crude masks and black cloaks had vanished as quickly as they had arrived.

Collapsing next to his father hadn't been on purpose, picking up his limp hand and squeezing it, praying that it would squeeze back hadn't been planned. It was just how he had reacted, without thinking, and feeling too much.

His knights had finished securing the room and locking the doors when they said quietly "Long live the king."

OOoOo

Lily wanted to scream and pound on the door, she wanted to kick it open or throw something at it until it broke and fell away. They hadn't let her in, she had seen the look on James' face when Bella killed his father and they hadn't let her in. She needed to get inside, she needed to get to James, and she couldn't, she couldn't reach him because they had locked her out in the corridor like she was just any bloody commoner. They didn't understand, she needed to help him.

"Knights only, ma'am." One of the older men had said, pulling her back away from the door. "Security purposes, you understand."

"No, I don't understand!" Lily shouted, trying to pull her arm out of his grasp. "He's hurting! He's in pain and I need to fix it!"

"Everything will be fine, ma'am. If the prince is injured, the court physician will help him."

"He's not injured you great oaf! He's- he's- didn't you hear him?" Lily pulled her hair at the roots and started shaking her head. She would never be able to get that sound out of her head, the sound of pure agony. "I need to see him." She muttered, repeating it to herself over and over again. "I need to see him." She didn't know why she felt this way, or this strongly, but she did.

"Lily," Remus appeared at her left, and put an arm around her. "They won't let me in either, okay. He's going to be fine, Sirius is with him and we'll see him soon."

"That's not good enough!" Her voice broke and she her vision started to get blurry as fat, hot tears started beading up. "I heard him, Remus." She wiped at her cheek angrily. "I heard him, I need to see him now."

"I know." Remus said, wiping gently at her other cheek. "They have to make sure he's safe first and then they'll let us in." He pulled her against his chest and Lily didn't try and stop the tears now, she didn't bother wiping them away or worrying about getting Remus's shirt all wet. She couldn't stop hearing James' voice as he shouted for his dad and it had broken something inside of her, and so she cried.


	20. Of Crooked Crowns and Children's Books

**AN:** **I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, despite the rough ending of the last chapter, this one was pretty fun to write.**

 **Read and review, friends!**

* * *

 _"People have forgotten this truth," the fox said. "But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for what you've tamed. You're responsible for your rose."_  
 _― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince_

 _or_

 _"The price of greatness is responsibility."_  
 _― Winston S. Churchill_

 **Chapter Twenty: Of Crooked Crowns and Children's Books He had lost both of them.**

* * *

It had happened only two months ago, and everyone seemed to have moved on, forgotten maybe, and he still felt it every day. It hurt, to lose his father, and his sister, and he wasn't allotted that much time to grieve. The funeral services had been held the next day, and immediately following this, one of his father's old advisors had walked James through his coronation. He had the crown placed on his head and then he officially met 'the council' which was made up entirely of nobles and made James uncomfortable with all of their demands and looks of mistrust they kept shooting him.

"I can't do this." James said, walking into Dumbledore's quarters and tossing his crown onto the table. It made an ugly clatter as it bounced around.

"You're going to break that." Sirius said, seated by the fire with his feet up on the wall.

"Hell if I care, they should never have given it to me."

"I for one could not be happier that our king has such confidence in himself." Sirius dropped his feet to the floor and walked over to the table, picking up the crown and placing it on his own head. "Maybe you should give me the crown. I think it suits me." He took a look in the looking glass that hung on the wall near the door.

"You couldn't do worse than me." James muttered.

"Stop that." Remus walked out of his room with a book in his hand. "Both of you. James you're a great king. Sirius, you're an arse and you look ridiculous."

"You didn't say anything about me." Lily said, also walking out of Remus's room with a few books of her own. They had taken to meeting here after James' council meetings every afternoon. Dumbledore and Remus had been collecting so many new books lately that they had run out of space in the main room and taken to using Remus's room as a miniature library.

"You're lovely." James sighed, sounding nothing but sincere as he fell onto the bench and rested his head on the table. Lily gave him a small smile that went unnoticed as he covered his face with his hands and huffed. "I can't do this anymore. I know I can't stop being king, but I can't do these council meetings anymore. I mean, why are these men even on the council. They didn't do anything, they were born into a rich family and that's their only qualification. My father kept them complacent so that we could have their money. I hate all of them."

"Here, here!" Sirius cheered, raising a fist, James' crown now crooked atop his head.

"Then change it." Lily said, sitting across from him.

"I can't do that."

"Why not?" She asked, raising a brow. "You've been king for two months and you've yet to change any of the rules that you said you would change before you were king."

"Because I'm not naive anymore," He sighed. "I've realized that my father didn't make most of the laws that govern our land, he was just the enforcer. The council makes the laws, maybe not directly, but they do make them. You know what they were talking about today? How more of the people's crop yields need to be coming into the kingdom because they were running out of wheat. I told them that the only reason there was a shortage was because we gave some of our extra food to Leefside after the fire, and do you know what they suggested? Taking it back." Remus let out a humorless laugh. "And on top of that, I've got both Arden and Amos hounding me to name a new head of the Knights." He looked over at Sirius with his brow raised.

"No."

"You could do it though," James sighed. "And I'm telling you to, as your king."

"I don't care." Sirius said. "I'm not going to train those tossers, I don't even train with them most of the time. Just give the job to Arden. Everyone likes him more."

"Yes, but that would be a slight to Amos."

"He would understand." Remus said. "If you explained it well enough."

"No, he wouldn't." James slammed his fist against the table. "You don't understand. There's an order to the kingdom that's been in place since this damned castle was built. There's those who are in charge, and those who are not. The sacred twenty-eight, have power over the kingdom, over the king. Everyone else has to keep them happy if they want to keep whatever status that they've managed to make for themselves. Amos is a Digory, his house is closely related to the Abbotts, which is a family in the sacred twenty-eight. The Weasley's not only never made the list, but they were all but blackballed after a dozen of their cousins either married below their status or were imprisoned for theft or for using magic. I can't just give Arden the job because people like him more, because while I might be able to convince Amos that it was best for everyone, I would never be able to convince his father or his maternal grandfather of that. Arden is a great knight, but I remember when I asked my dad if I could make him a knight. The council met for two weeks before they came to a decision."

"You asked Sirius to do it though."

"Sirius is better than any of those prat's kids, with or without a sword. I wouldn't mind angering everyone on his behalf. Also, I'm pretty sure Sirius could take the fallout, they would eat Arden alive though."

"So, what you're really saying here is that you can't do your job effectively with all of these men around you only looking out for their own best interests?" Lily said, a sly grin on her face.

"Yes." James said, not quite sure where she was going with this.

"Then change it!" She cried, standing up from the table and walking over to one of the many bookshelves. She ran her finger along the spines of a few before finding the one that she was looking for. "Do you remember this book?" She walked back over and handed it to him.

"A Table with No Head." He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, we read this a couple weeks ago." Lily flipped it open to the very last page. James watched her as she read the last line of the story over his shoulder.

"The table was small with a crack down the middle, but anyone would tell you she was fine. It wasn't the wood that made her a beaut but the feelings she garnered inside. Nobody felt taller, and nobody felt smaller, when they sat at a table with no head." She turned her head towards him and smiled, taking a quick step back in the process noticing how close they were. James might have noticed her faint blush if he weren't so distracted by her smile and the quote she had just read.

"Yes, it's a very nice story, Lily. I don't know what you're getting at however."

"You don't like the power structure, right? You don't like that some people hold power over others when they shouldn't?" James nodded. "Then cut the head off the table! Figuratively of course, tables don't actually have heads- but if you want to disband your council, then disband it."

James stood up and smiled at her. "I would love to do that. But without the council members happy, the kingdoms vaults would dry up and then what?"

"There are other rich families out there, James. Maybe you're just doing business with the wrong ones?" She shrugged and then took her cloak off the hook by the door. "I need to run now, Dumbledore talked to the nurse over at the hospital so I have a job again and Poppy doesn't listen to excuses when it comes to tardiness." She waved to all of them, and then spun on her heel and walked out of the room.

"A table with no head?" Sirius took the book from him and flipped through it. "So it's just a round table? How did someone write an entire book about a round table?"

"It's not about a table." James said thoughtfully, "It's about stripping away the power and creating an opportunity for equality. At a round table, no one holds more power than anyone else seated there." His mind was racing again, and for the first time in months, he was starting to feel as though he might be able to accomplish something. "A round table." He repeated quietly.

"You look like you have an idea." Remus said, looking up from his stack of books.

"Part of one." James nodded. "I've got to go- Meet me in the throne room in an hour."

"You're about to do something impulsive and stupid aren't you?" Remus asked, smiling despite his tone.

"Impulsive, yes. Hopefully not stupid." With that, he turned and ran out of the room.

"He's going to make a round table isn't he?" Sirius asked. "He's going to take her point literally and make an actual round table."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Remus shrugged.

oOoOo

It wasn't a secret that James favored the knights over the castle guard, as one he trained to be fierce warriors, and, well he frequently jested that anyone and their sister could be a castle guard. Remus had become accustomed to this, he knew that it stemmed more from James' pride in his knights, than his actual distaste of the castle guard. As far as Remus could tell, the castle guard were good, very tolerant men.

However, when Remus walked into the throne room with Sirius an hour after James had ran out of Dumbledore's quarters, what he found was a bit more than he was ready to deal with.

"No, no, no," James sighed and grabbed the man he was addressing by the shoulders. "I told you to stand here." He pulled him a few feet to the left and then jumped back and climbed up the steps towards the throne to get a better look. What he was looking at was a room full of castle guards that he had placed in specific places throughout the room. Some of them were linking arms, some of them where facing others, and one of them was standing in the corner of the room. Remus took a deep breath and then walked through the men, careful to avoid those that were linked at the arm, and walked up the steps so he was next to James. Sirius had followed him, instead of looking exasperated as Remus did, he was torn between amusement and confusion.

"James," Remus nudged him with his elbow. "What are you doing here, mate?"

"Everyone take a seat." James called out, ignoring Remus' question. Remus glanced over at Sirius, but he was surveying the mass of men who were simultaneously taking a seat on the floor. He didn't seem at all concerned about their current location. Remus however was acutely aware of the fact that this was the first time that James had set foot in the throne room since the night that Bellatrix had killed his father, and he knew that it had happened not ten feet from where they were standing. There had been no blood to clean up, no stains to make the spot, but Remus knew exactly where it had happened, and he knew that James did as well.

"So, what are we looking at here?" Sirius asked, now trying to make sense of the seated guards while playing with James crown that he was still wearing. "Aside from some very patient men whom you are using as props."

"Floor plans." James said. He jumped down the stairs and ran over to the group of men who were linked at the arm. There were a few more than a dozen, and they had their arms linked so that the lot of them created a circle. "This is the table, see." He motioned his hand around them. "And these men are the chairs," He touched one of the men's shoulders. Remus could see it now, he wasn't sure why James had thought that this was necessary, but he could see it.

"And who's that?" Sirius asked, pointing to the man in the corner.

"That's Philip. He didn't want to be a chair so I told him he could stand in the corner."

"Philip, you don't have to stand in the corner." Remus sighed, calling out to the man.

"Yes he does." James said, Philip had taken a step away from the wall and at James' voice moved it back.

"No, he doesn't. You can't punish someone for not wanting to be your plaything."

"Come here, Phil." Sirius called out. Philip hesitated this time, but when James didn't immediately tell him to get back in the corner, he walked across the room and knelt before James. "It's alright to listen to me, look, I'm wearing the King's crown. Who's in charge of you lot?" Sirius asked.

"The king, sir." He said, still kneeling.

"Unfortunately, yes- but who is head of the castle guard?"

Philip looked up, his lips pressed into a hard line. "You're the head of the castle guard, aren't you?" Remus asked. Philip nodded. "You can escort your men out of the throne room. Right, James?"

"Yes, fine." James sighed and then walked over to the throne and took a seat on the very edge. "I'm only trying to do some actual good for this kingdom."

"Of course you are, mate." Sirius picked the crown off his head and put it on James. "And I for one think your round table of humans was inspired." He clapped him on the back, and James glared at him. "But you have to admit that it was a bit demeaning for all those involved. Especially poor, Phil."

"I need to talk to a carpenter."

"You really want to build a table?" Remus asked. "Is that really going to solve everything?"

"No." James shook his head. "But it's not about solving everything, it's just about solving what I can. The kingdom deserves a better group of people looking over it than the one that it currently has, so I'm going to fix that." He stood up and started walking out of the throne room, "I want to hold a tourney as well. We never had one for my coronation due to the circumstances, but I think we should have one now. It will help me choose who gets to sit at the table. It's also a good venue to announce some changes to the law. First and foremost, I decree that from this day on, you no longer need to be of noble decent to become a knight of the realm, you must only prove your courage, strength and loyalty to the crown."

"To you?" Sirius asked.

James looked uncomfortable. "I suppose that's what that means now."

"You know when Lily was reading you that passage from _A Table with No Head_ , she wasn't telling you to go and make a circular table, right?" Remus said, looking around the room where the guards had just been.

"It's a round table, and yes, I know she wasn't but I have a good feeling about this. You've just got to trust me."

oOoOo

It was the first big thing that James had done since becoming king, and so people were eager to see it done quickly. Invitations were sent out, tents were raised, fields were cleared, stands were built, and the prizes were set. James walked quickly through the streets, ignoring all the hustle going on around him in search for Lily. She didn't really know it, but this idea he had stemmed from what she had told him.

His boots were muddy from having been helping his knights set up archery posts in their back training field earlier, and his trousers had a hole in the knee because Sirius had shoved him while they were setting up some of the stands. His hair was a bit more out of control, and his shirt kept coming untucked, but his cheeks were flushed with color and his eyes were bright. He was feeling good today, and this was the first time he could say that honestly in months. Maybe since before he found out about Bella.

Lily wasn't hard to spot, though she never was, her hair made sure of that. She was standing just inside the doorway of her house, sweeping the floor. Her hair was loose, falling in large ringlets past her shoulders, and she was wearing her blue dress today. James liked her blue dress.

"Good afternoon." He said with a smile, coming to a stop in the doorway and leaning against the frame. Lily looked up, not at all surprised to see him there.

"Afternoon." She replied, a smile of her own appearing on her lips. "What brings you here? And in that state," She laughed and reached out to brush some of the dirt off his shoulder. "I think for the first time, you might be covered in more dirt that me." He reached up and caught her hand in his. She looked at their hands and then up at him, the look she wore was demanding an explanation as softly as it could. His grinned widened, and he complied.

"I want to show you something." He said, giving her hand a slight tug and stepping out of the doorframe. She set the broom up against the wall and stepped out onto the street after him, closing the door behind her.

"And what are you going to show me?"

James squeezed her hand and narrowed his eyes playfully. "It's a surprise." Lily pursed her lips, but James could see amusement there, so he started walking, keeping her hand in his and trying not to think too much of it when she didn't try to extract her hand.

People parted quickly when they saw him coming, even dressed as he was, they knew he was their king. It had been like this before of course, when he was prince, but there was something different now, people seemed to stare a bit longer, whisper a bit louder, move back a bit further-

Lily pulled her hand out of his quite abruptly and James stopped walking. "What's wrong?" He asked. He had looked before they left her house for any indication that she was uncomfortable with their handholding. He may not have recognized exactly what he saw, but he knew that it wasn't discomfort.

"Nothing." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and glancing around the street. James did the same, but all he saw was what he had seen before, people watching him and whispering behind their hands.

"Are you shy?" He asked, a smile coming back.

"No," She said, "Let's just go." She started forward, but James didn't like that answer. He placed a hand on her shoulder and walked in front of her so they were face to face.

"Don't let them bother you, Lily. Their gaze follows me wherever I go- and before you say anything, this has nothing to do with my ego and everything to do with the fact that I'm their king."

"And they're not used to seeing you with someone like me." Lily said, meeting his eyes.

"What?"

"You're their king, and I'm- I'm," She laughed. "I'm sort of a nurse now I guess. I'm the daughter of a blacksmith and the former maid to someone who-" She cut off abruptly and shook her head. "They don't approve of our- you know- friendship."

"Friendship." The word tasted wrong in his mouth, but that wasn't the problem he needed to focus on at the moment. "Well, normally I wouldn't say this, but to hell with them."

"James, it's not that simple." Lily sighed, pushing her hair back over her shoulders. "When you came up to my house, just a few moments ago, do you know what I was doing? I was cleaning up shards of glass. People expect you to-"

"Shards of glass?" James interrupted.

"Yes," She shifted uncomfortably, looking unsure of how she wanted to continue. "Don't get upset, but people haven't taken too kindly to you- to us- My family is very poor and you're the king."

"Someone threw glass at you?"

"Not at me, just into my house." Lily said quickly.

James' hands clenched and he rocked forward and then back onto his heels. "Why would they do that?" He threw a glare at the nearest gossiper, who quickly cowered away.

"Because it's not right." Lily said, putting a hand on his arm and pushing him up the road. James couldn't relax until they had made it to the courtyard, where there were only a few castle guards at their post and they didn't find it necessary to whisper. Lily dropped her hand when she felt him relax and stopped walking. "People expect you to surround yourself with nobles and I'm about the furthest thing from a noble woman."

James now clenched his teeth, but attempted to appear calm. He had enough working against him when it came to Lily without the entire kingdom working to get her to believe that she's not worthy of being near him. He wanted her near him, he wanted her very near him. And now that he was finally making progress, now that she was spending more time with James outside of him teaching her to read, now that they were not both in immediate danger and things were finally starting to calm down after everything that had happened; now it was his people that were working against him.

"You've got that look on your face." Lily said, her cheeks blushed a light shade of pink.

"And what look would that be?" James sighed, very much wanting to reach out and hold her hand again. Lily's blush intensified, she bit her lip and James had to clench his jaw for an entirely different reason.

"It's just that sometimes you get this look on your face," She tucked her hair behind her ears and then shrugged. "And then you tell me that you love me."

"I love you."

"I-" She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. "You shouldn't."

James stepped forwards before he could think, cupped Lily's face in his hands and pressed his lips to her forehead. He held her like that longer than he should have and then pulled away. He smiled down at her, waiting until she opened her eyes to say, "Can I show you the surprise now?" Lily blinked rapidly and then nodded. She reached for his hand this time and he gave it a light squeeze.

"Alright," He said, as they neared the throne room. "Do you remember a few weeks ago, quoting _The Table with no Head_ to me?" She nodded. "Well, I may have taken your advice rather literally and I want you to be the first to see it." Lily narrowed her eyes and James pushed open the door just enough for them to slip inside.

They stood on the inside of the throne room in silence for a few moments, James watching Lily's reaction and Lily staring at what was before her. "You made and actual round table?" She asked incredulously. She laughed. "You made an actual round table!"

"I did." James nodded. Lily shook her head and walked up to it. It was very large, oak table, with thirteen great oak chairs placed at equal intervals around it. "Well, I had someone else make it of course, I wouldn't know how, but-"

"What are you going to do with it?" Lily asked, her eyes darting around the room. "And where is the throne?"

"It's been moved to the Great Hall. I'm going to make a new council, like you said I should. This new council will be made up of people who understand that it is their job to protect and serve the people of the land, not their own interests. They will have to earn their seat by proving their honor and selflessness, and if they should ever dishonor themselves, or disgrace what the table stands for in anyway, they will be asked to step down and someone else with take their seat."

"And how are you going to test people's honor and selflessness?" Lily asked.

"With the tourney." He said. "I don't think I'll find all twelve men that I'm looking for, but still, it's a place to start." Lily walked over to the table and ran her fingers along one of the chairs. "I just want to do what's right for the people."

Lily turned towards him and smiled, warming his insides. "You're going to be a great king. You know that, right?" There was a pull in his navel and one of his feet took a step forward without his permission. He loved this woman with his entire being and he didn't know what to do about it. He was standing here, trying to force himself not to run across the room and kiss her, but he couldn't convince himself that she would mind if he did. His other foot found it's way in front of the first.

She was everything good in his life, she was warm and open, soft and loving. She gave every relationship her all and when she smiled at him he felt as though he would burst apart and catch fire all at once. She was his safe place, and his sunny day, his reason to keep fighting, to find a better way. Another step forward, only this time she mimicked his movement.

James stopped thinking entirely and looked at her face. She had gone very pale, and was torn between looking absolutely terrified and painfully hopeful, though there was a chance that he was projecting his own feelings onto her. Her step was smaller than his had been, but she didn't wait as long to take another step. And then another.

She was walking at a steady pace and James had just kind of frozen where he was, not able to get his feet to move. And then he looked at her face again, really looked at it and saw that it had gone soft. When she reached him, she didn't kiss him as he thought she was going to, she smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He sighed, trying to push his disappointment aside, because a hug was nice too, a hug had her close to him and wasn't _that_ what he really wanted? He couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Lily said, pulling her head back to look at him without dropping her arms.

"Nothing." He pulled her back against him. "Let's go find the lads, yes?"

"Alright." She pulled away. "What do you have them doing?"

"Setting up for the tourney of course."

"You were helping them weren't you. That's why you look as filthy as you do?"

"Filthy is a strong word." Lily pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"If you say so."

OOoOo

There were five hundred and sixty seven stone blocks making up the room they had put her in. Five hundred and sixty seven stone blocks, only two windows and both of them too high to see out of. She had counted five hundred and sixty seven stone blocks fourteen times now, the second time only getting five hundred and sixty six and after double checking, the numbers started to sooth her. She started to find solace in the rhythm of the words she muttered under her breath, she started to find comfort in the way the number would come with another beat of her heart and a soft breath and she kept moving her eyes around the room because if she kept looking at the wall, if she kept counting to five hundred and sixty seven than she didn't have to think.

She had no idea how long she had been in this room, but she wished it was made of more stone blocks, she wished there was an infinite number so that she never had to stop counting, because whenever she ran out of numbers, she would have to pause and in that briefest pause, she would hear what he had said to her. She would hear him call out… and then she would hear James… and then she would start over at one.

"Bella?" Someone walked into the room without knocking, but Bella didn't let that deter her counting. "The Dark Lord would like to see you."

She took a deep breath and pressed her lips together. _Do it now, Bella!_ She pulled at her hair and asked, "Is that a request?"

"The Dark Lord doesn't make requests." She didn't know who was in the room, and she didn't care. She brushed off her dress and started counting her steps.

She hadn't seen the Dark Lord in a few weeks now, and all of their interaction since he forced her to kill King Charles had been silent on her end, and she couldn't tell anyone what he had said to her because she hadn't paid attention. It hadn't been intentional per say, but whenever he opened his mouth, her head would get very loud and she couldn't focus, she couldn't hear him over the other voices.

She was being led down a dimly lit corridor and she had counted to two hundred and thirty six steps before whoever she was with stopped in front of a door and motioned for her to go inside. She looked up at them for the first time and saw that it was Rookwood's son Alvin. He was four or five years younger than Bella, and she couldn't understand why he was here. He was too young to be involved with something like this, to be near someone like Voldemort.

"He's waiting." Alvin said quietly.

Bella tried to smile at him, and then turned towards the doors and pushed one open. She didn't want to see him, she didn't want to talk to him, she wanted to leave. She wanted to go and find James, tell him what happened, that she was sorry for getting tangled up in all of this mess and that she would do whatever he said in order to regain his trust. She had messed up, but she didn't want to lose her brother, she didn't want to lose James.

"Bellatrix Black." Voldemort's voice drew her attention to the left side of the room, where he was seated at the head of a long oak table. She saw Severus Snape stand up and excuse himself. He walked passed her and gave her a slight nod before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. Closing the door behind Bella. And then they were alone. "Come and sit down. We have much to discuss." He didn't sound upset with her, which should have made her relieved, but it only made her suspicious. What was he going to tell her to do next? What did he need her to do now?

"I'd rather-" She thought about arguing with him, but after the first two words, she was already exhausted and so she slowly walked across the room and took a seat at the table, making sure to leave two empty seats between Voldemort and herself. "What is it now?" She sighed, resting her head on her left hand.

Voldemort smiled at her and she felt herself shiver. She hated this man.

"I didn't do this to you." He said quietly, still smiling. "I didn't turn you into what you are now. If you didn't want to kill Charles, you wouldn't have killed him."

"I never said you turned me into anything." She turned her head so she was looking down at the table. "And you didn't give me much of a choice. If I didn't kill Charles, you would have killed him and James."

"You had tried to kill Charles earlier." He pointed out. "You almost succeeded. You would have succeeded if there were not others in the castle who practiced magic and recognized it's properties."

Bella took a deep breath and considered this. "The Charles that I tried to kill and the Charles that you had me kill were two entirely different people. The fire that killed my mother, it wasn't set by the king."

"It was your father's brave attempt at killing a dangerous foe. He would be proud of you."

"I don't want him to be proud of me." Bella snapped, turning to glare at Voldemort. "He murdered one of my friends, he burned my mother alive, I would be dead too if he had his way. He told Charles not to rescue me. My father was a horrible man and I don't want to make him proud of me."

"He made sure that your sisters survived."

Bella laughed at this. "They survived because my mother threw them out a window. They're lucky that the fall didn't break their necks."

"Well than we'll have to agree to disagree on the topic of your father. And Charles apparently. No matter, you have done as you were told and I have allowed you to wallow in misery for long enough now. It's time we start prepping you for the throne."

"I don't want the throne." Bella said through gritted teeth. "I told you that I don't-"

"Not the Hogwarts throne." Voldemort interrupted, his jaw a bit tight as he did. "Not yet." He added quietly. "There are more kingdoms than just Camelot. I want you and Rodolpus to take charge of Durmstrang castle. It's farther north, and while the people there have a higher tolerance for magic, it's always good to have people I trust in positions of power."

"You still want me to marry Rod?"

"I'm giving you a throne." Voldemort snapped. "Why can't you just appreciate that?" He pushed away from the table, the legs of his chair scratching violently against the floor. When he stood up and clasped his hands behind his back and started pacing the length of the table in front of Bella. "I gave you a chance to prove yourself, I allowed you to disobey me and gave you yet another chance to prove yourself. I showed more patients than any man has ever had to for a woman these last three months and gave you the time you needed to piece yourself back together and now I am handing you a crown and you are still not satisfied? What more could I possibly do?"

Bella's brow had knit together sometime in the middle of his speech and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She had never wanted to marry Rod, so she thought it was fair to point that out, but he the way he was talking it was like he was trying to make her happy, trying to fit her in somewhere. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I've given you everything!" He shouted, banging his fists on the table. "These past three months you have had nothing but the finest of everything. You have servants waiting on your every need, you have had the best food available, the most expensive gowns- More than that, I made you see who you really are."

"I didn't ask for any of that." Bella said, her mind reeling. He had forced her to kill perhaps the only person who had ever truly accepted her but it seemed as though he had warped that in his mind somehow. He seemed to think that he had shown her what she was capable of, that he had awoken something inside her that she hadn't been aware of before, but that wasn't true. She hadn't wanted to kill the king, but she never had a problem with ending people's lives before that. When she would get caught using magic and randomly point to a man that she would claim to have seen cast a spell, she knew exactly what would happen to him and, part of her, a terrible part of her, reveled in it. "And the only thing you did was force my hand. I'm not now anything I wasn't before, the only difference is that other people can see me. I'm no longer lurking in the shadows, I no longer have the protection of the king-"

"You have _my_ protection." He said slowly, a smile growing on his lips again. "You have my protection and you are allowed to be whoever you want. You're allowed to use your magic, and you're allowed to be violent, and no one is going to say anything against you."

Bella took a slow breath and studied the man before her. He was old enough to be her father, but the way he was looking at her, he didn't seem aware of this. And she hadn't realized that what he was saying, at least what he was saying now, was true. She didn't have to hide anymore, she didn't have to pretend to be something that she wasn't, she was free. She could use her magic, show off a part of herself that she had been forced to keep hidden.

"You take people's magic." She said carefully, standing up and stepping away from the table, holding his gaze as she did. "You killed Regulus Black, my cousin."

"You don't get power unless you take it." He replied calmly. Bella found herself nodding, as though this made sense, as though this wasn't him casually tossing aside the life of someone that she had loved. "And I would never take your magic." And she believed him.

"I know." She said, and then with a coy smile she added. "I wouldn't let you." His smile grew.


	21. Royal Guests

**an: Here is your regularly scheduled update. I've been good lately, you have to admit. Actually you don't have to, I'll do it for all of us. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Reviews are appreciated as always.**

* * *

 _"I would separate marriages into rational and irrational and I would included both love and arranged marriages as irrational marriage._

 _Rational marriage for me is when you can really understand by mind not by heart."_  
 _― M.F. Moonzajer_

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Royal Guests**

* * *

He was never late when it counted. Did he let Sirius talk him into having just a bit more breakfast now an again, or take the long way through the castle to avoid seeing some unpleasant castle help that still gave him disapproving looks? Sure, but only when he knew that there was nothing important going on. He had been up too late last night though, reading and researching as usual, but he had been up too late and in turn, over slept.

It would have been fine, but James' guests were starting to arrive today. Important people from faraway lands and other kingdoms were arriving as guests of the king and Remus had over slept. People were going to start shoving their daughters down James' throat, and Remus was nowhere near him, and he needed to be. He needed to make sure that James kept his head and didn't make too many announcements in one tourney.

He slipped quietly into the great hall and saw Benjy Fenwick standing two steps behind James' left, and Sirius was standing to his right, looking quite honorable for once in his life. Remus would bet money that not one of the noblemen in the room just now had any inkling that Sirius had been three sheets to the wind, pissed off his arse for most of yesterday afternoon. If Remus hadn't seen him yesterday afternoon, he would have had no idea as well.

He walked quickly along the walls and then hopped up the steps of the raised platform that the throne was on and tapped Benjy on the shoulder. "Sorry, mate." He whispered.

"Not a problem." Benjy replied, retracing Remus's path as he left the throne room.

Whoever James had been talking to just then was dismissed and as the next guest was walking up, James turned and raised his brow at Remus, who just shrugged.

"Your majesty," A woman's voice caused James and Remus to turn their attention back to the room, but the sound of every blade of the guardsmen being drawn at once, is what held their attention. Remus inspected the woman for any sign of a threat, reaching a hand out towards James as he did, but he saw none. She was on her knees with her hands up and her head down, large, dark ringlets falling over her shoulder and masking her face. Familiar looking ringlets, but Remus couldn't quite put his finger on why they looked familiar.

"Stand down," James said, his voice sharp. "What is the meaning of this? Why do you-" He stopped speaking when the woman looked up and suddenly the guards reaction made sense. Because at first glance, the woman on her knees looked exactly like Bellatrix.

"My name is Andromeda Tonks. I've come to beg your forgiveness for my family and honor you at your tourney."

"Tonks?" James repeated.

"My married name, sire." Andromeda said, standing up. She looked down at the floor and took a deep breath before looking up at him and announcing to the room, "I am Bella's older sister."

"The Tonks's are well respected." James said, his voice sounding slightly strangled. He didn't seem to know what else to say, but Andromeda wasn't going to leave him there to flounder.

"I understand what my sister did, and I understand that there may be resentment felt towards her family, myself namely. I only wish to ask for your forgiveness for the sake of my daughter, I don't want her to suffer for the mistakes of someone that she has never met." She took a deep breath. "My husband and I have been loyal, law abiding subjects and I don't want my daughter to suffer the disdain-"

"Andromeda," James interrupted. "I appreciate you coming forward, but there is something very important that you need to understand about me. I'm not my father and I am not in the business of holding other people accountable for their family's sins." He paused and she froze, her mouth still open. She looked him over and then looked relieved.

"Thank you, sire." Andromeda swept into another bow.

"Do you think you could extend me the same curtesy?" He asked, walking down the steps so that he and Andromeda were face to face.

"Of course," She smiled, and that's where her and Bella stopped looking similar. Bella had never been able to appear warm and approachable. James reached for her hand and Andromeda accepted.

"I would love for you and your family to be my guests during the tourney. Put all the ugly past between our families to rest and start anew."

"I accept that generous offer, my highness." She looked over her shoulder and summoned what Remus assumed to be her husband and daughter. Her daughter was older than Remus would have expected, looking almost as old as Bella had been. "This is my husband, Theodore Tonks, and our daughter, Nymphadora Tonks." Remus involuntarily flinched at her name, and almost laughed when Nymphadora did the same thing. When the girl went to curtsy, she must have crossed one leg a little too far, or leaned in a little too much, because she ended up tripping and landing face first at James' feet.

Everyone in the hall held their breath as James reached down to help her to her feet. Remus noticed that her mother didn't look at all concerned and her father seemed to be suppressing a smile.

"Oops." Nymphadora laughed when she was finally on her feet again. "I never did quite get the hang of that. It used to drive my tutor absolutely mad." She brushed off the sides of her gown and smiled at James. "From now on, I'll just nod my head if that's alright. I've yet to fall over from nodding my head, though I'm sure-"

"Nymphadora," Her mother said quietly. "You are talking to our king."

Her eyes got wide, as though she had forgotten herself and she nodded. "Yes of course, I apologize, your majesty."

"There's no need for that." James grinned. "Are you hurt?"

"Nah," She shook her head. "If I got hurt every time I fell over my mum wouldn't let me out of bed."

"Nymphadora," Her mother sighed, less quiet than the first time.

"Sorry. It's an honor to meet you, your highness." She nodded her head and then stepped back behind her mother, taking care to press her lips together, incase more words wanted to force their way out.

"I look forward to getting to know the three of you a little better over the next couple of weeks." He turned to Remus as he walked back up the stairs. "I like them. Make sure that they are found a place to stay in the castle." Remus nodded. It was going to be difficult, as James had many guests coming in for the tourney. He was going to have to talk to the head of house and see if there were any good rooms left. And if not, he would have to move someone who hadn't arrived yet, without insulting them. Remus had never been one for politics.

The Tonks' left the room, and James was left to greet the next person in line.

After three hours of greeting guests, all of which James handled very graciously, and Sirius refrained from making any rude comments at all, they were finally done.

"What now, boss?" Sirius asked, stretching his arms over his head. "Lunch I hope."

"Soon enough," James nodded. "First we have to visit Philip and make sure he has enough men for tomorrow."

"For the feast?" Sirius asked. "I heard there was going to be roast duck at the feast. Do you know the last time I had a roast duck?"

James laughed. "We're not all getting our own roast ducks, mate. I swear, you eat like a dog. And the feast is not tomorrow. The feast is on the second day of the tourney." Sirius cursed under his breath and James shook his head. "Anyway, with all the extra guests, and with their titles, we need to make sure that our security is running smoothly. I'm going to talk to Frank tomorrow morning to make sure that everything is running smoothly on his end."

"How is that going?" Remus asked, looking at Sirius. "Now that Frank has been named head of the knights?"

"It's been a rough go, since Amos thought he was going to get it handed to him. Things are cooling off though, and Franks been handling the whole thing far better than I would have."

James grinned at him. "You know, you should go to training every now and then."

"I do go every now and then. How else would I know how things are going?"

"Because you get mead with Arden almost every night. He probably told you all of that."

"Look, if I go to training, then you don't have a knight with you. It's my duty to make sure that you are protected at all times an-"

"That's a load of dung." James pushed him. "You and I both know that Remus is more than capable of protecting me from anything I can't protect myself from. And besides, the only reason you're not going to training is because you know that you'll end up punching Amos in the face if you do." Remus glanced over at James and raised his brow. The two of them were on good terms again, but this was one of the first times that James had brought up Remus's magic so light heartedly.

"I don't want to start something, shouldn't you be thanking me?" Sirius scoffed. "I'm staying out of trouble, that's very unlike me."

"Thank you." James shook his head. "But try and get down there every now and then. If I can't make it down, I'd like to have you there." Sirius pushed his shoulders back and pressed his lips together. Even after months of being beside James day in and day out, he still wasn't used to James relying on him so much.

"Of course." He nodded. "I'll start checking in a few times a week."

"That's all I want." James smiled. Then he turned to Remus and narrowed his eyes. "Why were you so late this morning?"

Remus sighed. "I over slept. I was up late last night reading, and then I over slept."

"Why didn't you wake him?" James asked Sirius. "You live together, no?"

"Yes, but I left early to get my armor from David Evans."

"Lily's dad works on your armor?" James asked curiously.

"Yeah, I stopped by one day to check on her and he was there and saw the state of my helm, told me to hand it over and he's been working on my armor ever since. He's good." Sirius shrugged.

"Huh." James ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe I'll see if he'd be willing to help out for the tourney. I mean, with all the competitions, people are going to need to know a good black smith and we only have three working here at the castle. It couldn't hurt to bring in some men from town."

"I think he'd be up for it." Sirius smirked.

"He does a lot of work for the nobles already." Remus said. "He'd be almost wealthy if any of them bothered to pay him what he deserves. At least that's what Lily told me, you both know I know absolutely nothing about armor." Sirius chuckled and nudged his shoulder.

"I'll send someone out to talk to him late this evening then." James nodded. Remus shook his head, but truthfully, he was glad that James had gone from inappropriate declarations of love to getting her father a better job. It was a sign of growth.

oOoOo

Lily liked her new position in the hospital. Sure she was surrounded by sick people all day, and some of them were rather ornery and ungrateful, but she felt like she had a purpose, which was new. As Bella's maid, she had had purpose of course, but that purpose was to serve Bella and that was pretty much it. Here she was saving people, or at the very least, helping to relieve their discomforts and prevent infections from spreading around the city. She considered it to be a noble-ish profession.

The hospital had been a barn at one point. The old stalls that had lined the left side of the barn had been turned into patient rooms, though the hospital had been made by the townspeople and so there hadn't been any money to actually turn the stalls into rooms. The best they could do was take out the doors and add curtains to the windows. As for the other side of the barn, a row of cots had been lined up, separated occasionally by only a curtain. Most of the time the curtains were left open so the patients could talk, or complain with one another. After all, the people who came to this hospital were all from the poorer side of town and many of them knew each other.

"There's a new patient in bed four." Madam Pomfrey said, nodding towards the bed. "His leg needs to be set. I think he fell off his horse."

"It's not Remus, is it?" Lily smirked, but Madam Pomfrey hadn't heard her inquiry for she was already on to the next patient. She was a stern boss, but the hospital ran more smoothly because of it. Also, she probably didn't know Remus and so maybe it was best that she hadn't heard.

Bed four was on the right side of the building, and the curtains had been drawn around the bed. Lily walked over to the supply station, gathered the needed materials to splint a leg and then walked over to the bed and stepped behind the curtain. "Have a bit of a spill, did you?" She asked , setting the supplies on the edge of the cot.

"Obviously."

Lily looked up and pressed her lips together. So, he was going to be one of _those_ patients. Well that was fine by her, she didn't have the energy to be nice anyway. She had just helped a woman birth twins, and her arm was still sore from where the father had squeezed her arm. He ended up fainting eventually, but she had to deliver the first baby with his vice like grip cutting off circulation to her hand.

Lily pulled the man's leg over to her and pushed his pants up. The man hissed in pain. "It's only a sprain." She said upon seeing the injury. "If you stay off your feet for a week you should be good, but I know that's hardly ever an option so I'll brace it for you."

The man grunted.

Lily looked up and tried to place this man. He looked as though he worked indoors a lot, but he was here, so he wasn't a noble man. He could be a cook, she supposed. The castle cooks were almost always inside. His hands looked to neat to be a cook though, they always had scars and stains on their hands. She spent a lot of time in doors of course, but she knew he didn't work in the hospital. He also looked completely unfamiliar. Lily didn't know everyone who lived in Camelot of course, but everyone who came through the hospital looked at least a little familiar. Whether that was because they were related to someone she did know, or because she had walked past them a hundred times it didn't matter, everyone looked familiar, expect for this man. Unable to place him, she finally asked, "Where are you from?"

"What?" He asked.

"I've never seen you around Camelot before, and you don't look like a farmer, so I doubt you live on the outskirts of the city. Where are you from?"

"That's none of your business." He snapped, pushing his hair back behind his ear. His hair was longer than most of the men around town kept it, reaching his shoulders and not looking very well kempt, another reason to believe he wasn't a noblemen.

"It was only a question." Lily raised her brows. "Though now I'm extra curious."

He pressed his lips together and looked down at his hands.

"Can I get your name at least?" Lily asked. "I'm Lily."

"Severus." He muttered, glancing up at her and then back at his hands.

"Well, Severus," Lily grinned. "Are you always this rude?"

"Are you always this nosey?" He countered.

"Yes." She nodded, still grinning. She saw his mouth turn up at the corner and laughed. "Are you here for the tourney?"

"What else would I be here for?"

"I don't know, to make unsuspecting nursemaids' days just that much more difficult."

"Setting a broken leg is difficult for you?" He scoffed. "Then maybe you need a new-"

"Sprained." She corrected. "Your leg is sprained. And that's not what's making you a difficult patient. You've not told me how you sprained it or where you're from. Also, you're acting very suspicious and unpleasant. You should know that I have a number of friends in high places and none of them take kindly to strange men being rude to me."

He actually laughed at that. "So you're a whore when you're not here?"

Lily was affronted and sat up straighter, giving his leg a good, strong pat and smirking when he winced. "I'm not a whore." She said, clearing her throat and looking around. "And I'd thank you not to suggest such a thing."

"Well, how else does a lady of your stature get to have friends in high places?" He asked, skepticism dripping from his voice.

"I used to work in the castle." She said stiffly. "Not that it's any of your business, but I was lady Bellatrix's maid." That seemed to capture his attention, but she had finished bracing his leg and stood up to go and help the next patient.

"Wait," He reached out and took hold of her arm. "Lady Bellatrix," Lily nodded. "Is it true that she murdered the king?"

Lily rolled her eyes and pulled her arm away. "S'kinda why I'm not working for her anymore." She shrugged.

"I'm from a town called Spinner's End." He said, rubbing a hand on the base of his neck. "I've been serving a noble family in the countryside for a couple years now and I came to Camelot for the same reason a lot of people come here. To make a better life for myself."

She took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest. "See, that didn't sound like an apology." With that, she turned on her heel and walked off to find Madam Pomfrey.

oOoOo

King Johnathan McKinnon had had a rough couple of years. His daughter had disappeared, and his kingdom was being overrun with all sorts of magical types. He was an old fashioned type, much like James' father had been, but was much softer than Charles had ever been. Johnathan was full of smiles and warmth and sincerity; three things which shown through in each of his four children that were standing before James as well.

"I'm not sure you all remember one another." Johnathan said. "I don't know if you ever remember coming out to the Cornish lands, James, but you used to stay in Dore every now and then.

"I remember." James nodded, adding a polite smile for good measure. Sirius had finally adhered to his request and gone down to the training grounds, and Remus was running errands that James had given him, so he was meeting with this royal family alone.

"Yes, well, I don't believe you'd remember my youngest children. David," He nodded to his son. "And my sweet Charlotte," Charlotte curtsied and offered James a sly smile. She had soft, blonde hair and green eyes that looked like spring. Her dress was made of silk, and it was doing everything it could to accentuate her chest. Modestly, of course. James couldn't be sure, but if his math was correct, that would make her sixteen. _And let the games begin,_ James thought. This trip was not about the tourney for this family, at least not for Charlotte and her father. This trip was about finding her a husband, about making her a queen. An honor that would have, potentially, gone to Charlotte's older sister had she still been around. At least the McKinnons were good people, and all that meant was that he didn't believe that Johnathan was going to shove his daughter in James' face, or bring up marriage outright. No, he would have Charlotte do all the work on that front. She would be coy and flirty and pleasant and James would do his best not to bruise her ego, or her feelings.

"David and Charlotte were rather young the last time I visited."

"As were you, James," Johnathan laughed. "Michael, Robert and you used to get into such trouble. It would drive my poor Anita mad."

"Oh pish," Anita laughed. She looked exactly like her daughter only twenty years older. "You were little boys, of course you got yourselves into trouble."

"Still," James smiled and nodded. "I do hope that you've forgiven me for my childish behavior."

"You were a child after all." Johnathan answered for her and she smiled in agreement.

"And is there news on your eldest daughter?" James said, addressing Johnathan.

"I'm sure, wherever Marlene is, she's doing just fine." Johnathan said, looking almost angry. James hadn't meant to upset him, only show that he remembered his families troubles, to show that he cared.

"I take it you no longer believe that she was kidnapped."

"I got a letter from her a few months ago telling me that she had found a good job and a nice city and that I should not worry about her any longer." He took a deep breath, some of his harshness disappearing. "I hope she is happy wherever she is, but I do wish she would come home. She's not doing us any favors by running about and-" He caught himself and shook his head. "But those are my private concerns, nothing that I want to burden you with."

"Your concerns for your daughter are not a bother, your highness." James nodded. "I remember that Marlene and I got on well as children, and I worry for her too."

"Thank you, James. I appreciate that."

"Well, I'm sure that you all would appreciate a bit of rest as well. The Cornish Lands are not near Camelot, I remember the long journey. How about I show you to your quarters?"

"That would be wonderful." David sighed, stretching out his neck and cracking his knuckles.

"David," Charlotte admonished seconds before her mother could interject. Johnathan looked at the two women and smiled at them warmly.

"Don't worry about it," James laughed. "I'd be tired and sore too if I'd spent all week in a carriage." He led them out of the Great Hall and towards the east wing of the castle, where most of his guests were staying. They went up two flights of stairs and then veered off down a corridor two men stood guard. "These will be your quarters. I hope you find your suite satisfactory, but if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to find me." There were two doors opposite one another in the corridor, one leading to the McKinnon's suite and the other leading to another suite. Johnathan realized this and turned to James.

"Who are we neighboring?" He asked, "I do hope it's someone interesting."

"Oh, I think so." James grinned. "Donald Bones wrote me a few days ago and said that he'd be arriving in town shortly. I actually thought he was going to be here before you."

"King Donald?" Johnathan started to grin.

"Who else?" James laughed. Johnathan and Donald were old friends, but that wasn't the only reason he had for housing the two royal families in close proximity. Both kings had daughters that they seemed to be keen on marrying off to James, however, they both had sons as well. James may have been hoping that with these arraignments, one of both of his potential suiters might just fall for a boy across the hall. It wouldn't be a match that would disappoint their father's either, for both men were friends, and royal.

Now he just had to hope that the princesses played along.

"Do let me know when he arrives." Johnathan smiled, reaching for James' hand. James nodded.

"You'll be the first one I tell." He promised.

"I'll see you around, James." Charlotte waved goodbye and entered the suite.

"Yes, of course." He smiled and then left the family to rest. He walked back down to the Great Hall before he realized that he really wanted to go and find Lily right about now.

"Sir," One of the castle guards approached him. "The Bones family has arrived."

James took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Of course they did."

Cornwall was not nearly as far from Camelot as the Cornish Lands were, so the Bones family didn't seem nearly as exhausted when James met them in the Great Hall.

"You just missed King Johnathan." James said by way of greeting, extending his arm towards King Donald. The older man smiled and reached for James' hand.

"That's a shame. It's been far too long since I've seen him. And you for that matter."

"Well let's plan on remedying both of those grievances, yes?" James turned towards Queen Rebecca and bowed. "It's an honor to see you again, your majesty." She nodded and offered him a small smile. She looked frail and tired, but James wouldn't bring it up unless they did. He knew how these things went.

The Bones' family was much different from the McKinnons, though it was easy to see why Donald and Johnathan got along so well, and why James hadn't seen a lot of these men since he was very young. Charles had been a very difficult man to get along with, while Donald and Johnathan just didn't have this problem. Donald was much quieter than Johnathan, but both men were pleasant and fair rulers who were loved by their people.

"You'll remember our two children," Donald said, motioning to his kids. "Edgar and Amelia." Edgar nodded, and Amelia gave a slight curtsy. At least he wasn't drawing special attention to Amelia.

"Shall I show you to your quarters then?" James asked. "King Johnathan is very eager to see you all."

"Did you give us a suite nearby?" Edgar asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's been a while since I've last put Michael and Robert on their-" Rebecca cleared her throat and Edgar shook his head. "I apologize." He said to his mother. "But they are old friends, and I do like to best them." James laughed.

"Hopefully Michael and Robert have done a bit more growing up than you have." Amelia said, nudging her brother in the side.

"You'll be sharing a corridor with them actually." James smiled. "If you'll follow me?"

James liked being around people, really he did, but after all this guest greeting and the dinners and the small talk with people he hadn't seen in years, all he wanted to do was lock himself away in his room for a week or two and talk to no one. Well, almost no one.

He hadn't realized that he had not been paying attention to his guests until Queen Rebecca grabbed his shoulder. "Is it true, James?" When he looked only confused, she elaborated. "Are you allowing the family of your father's murderer to stay in the castle?"

"Mum," He heard Amelia hiss.

"Yes." James nodded. He already liked Amelia more than Charlotte, not that it mattered, as he wouldn't be marrying either one of them. "The Tonks' have committed no crimes and are a noble family that deserve my respect as well as yours. Andromeda and her family shall not be held accountable for the actions of Bellatrix. That's not a precedent that I would like to set, seeing as how I would not like to be held accountable for all of my father's actions."

The Bones family stayed quiet after that and James quickly made his exit. He rushed off to his chambers, where he proceeded to all but tear the thick, heavy clothing from his frame and tear apart his wardrobe looking for a simple, cotton shirt he could wear. His closet was stuffed with silks and heavy wool cloaks and clothing he was forced to wear when he introduced himself to his guests as the king. But he didn't want to be the king just now, he wanted to be a knight.

Half of his closet was on the floor when someone walked into his chambers. James didn't notice however, because he was still enthralled by the fact that there were no cotton shirts in his wardrobe. "Oh my," A voice called his attention from his clothes and to Lily Evans, for that was who had entered the room. "I'm terribly sorry, I just wanted to return this and I didn't think you'd be in here." She held up one of the books that he had lent her, her cheeks turning pink as she averted her gaze. James smiled at her.

"It's not a problem." James said, motioning her further into the room. "I was just-" Then he realized why she was acting like she was. Not only was he shirtless, but his pants had yet to be done up so they were lower on his thigh than they should be in the presence of a lady. James quickly turned his back to her and laced them up, hazardously knotting the drawstrings and tucking them behind the hem.

"I should have knocked." Lily said, her voice sounding slightly strange. He heard her footsteps drawing her further into the room and he turned around in time to see her setting the book on his desk.

"I should have laced up my trousers." James chuckled, "Honestly, this isn't your fault."

Lily looked up at him, her cheeks still tinged red. "I walked into your bedchambers without knocking, this is _entirely_ my fault." She was smiling now.

"Alright, it was your fault." James smirked playfully. "Did you like the book?"

"I did." Lily nodded. "There were only a few words that I had trouble with, but I think I managed to get all of them. The story made sense anyhow." James nodded, and then continued to dig through his wardrobe, since he was still without a shirt. "Are you headed down to the training fields?"

"I suppose." James said, pausing to look back at her. "My original plan was to come and find you first, but you took care of that for me."

Lily narrowed her brow. "What were you going to find me for?"

James tilted his head at her genuine confusion, how did she still not seem to get it? He shrugged, and tried to seem nonchalant, "Because I wanted to see you."

Lily's blush returned and she looked down at her feet. "Oh." She said quietly, clasping her hands together.

"Did you see any of my guests arrive today?" James asked, changing the subject for her sake. He loved seeing her blush, he loved that he could make her blush now, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. "I've been greeting the Bones and McKinnon and other noble families all day."

"I saw Bella's sister arrive yesterday, and Remus and Sirius told me about them as well, but I've been busy today helping my father. Thank you again for getting him this job. Now he just needs to find an apprentice who knows _something_ about metal work."

"Unfortunately I can't help him with that." James smiled.

"I wouldn't expect you to." Lily grinned and leaned against his desk and crossed her arms. "Is there a reason you're not putting a shirt on?"

James looked down and realized that she was right, he was still wearing nothing on his torso. "I can't find a shirt." Lily glanced at the pile of shirts on the ground at James' feet and quirked a brow. "I mean a shirt I can wear to training. If I wear silk to the grounds, the lads would never let me hear the end of it. I just want a cotton shirt, you know the ones that I normally wear," Lily nodded. "But I can't find them anywhere."

"Now I know that you're a king, and I'm supposed to bow and speak respectfully to you, but did you try looking on top of your dresser?" She had a smile on her face that made James' heart jump to his throat. She nodded behind him and he turned to see a stack of clean, cotton shirts stacked on top of his dresser.

"Right," He felt his own face heat up as he walked over and picked one up, pulling it over his head and pushing his arms through quickly. "Do you need to get back to you father, or can you accompany me to the grounds?"

Lily laughed. "I got Sirius to help out my dad."

"How'd you manage that?" James asked. At least this answered his question of where Sirius had been for the last few hours, as he had assumed he hadn't been down at the training fields any longer than was necessary. James had assumed that he had taken to hiding from the guests since some of them recognized him, and most of them were 'insufferable.' James walked towards his door and then held it open for Lily, who nodded politely and smiled at him.

"I asked him nicely." Lily shrugged. "You and Remus both act like he's difficult, but I've never had a problem with him."

"Well, he's nice to you because you're a lady."

"I think he's nice to me because I'm nice to him."

"Remus is nice to him." James countered.

"Sure, but Remus being nice to someone includes a pound of snark. I don't think Sirius is used to people being nice to him, so when I ask him to help me, he just does it."

"I still think it has something to do with the fact that you're a lady, but I'm not going to disagree about Remus's snark."

"Alright, but Sirius doesn't see me as a 'lady.'" Lily chuckled.

"Of course he does!" James was surprised that she would think that.

"No he doesn't." She shook her head. "I'm quite certain that he would watch his language around me if he did. And the jokes. He would also flirt with me. He might see me more as his little sister." Or the girl who his boss and friend fancied.

"He doesn't flirt with you?" This surprised him even more, because Sirius flirted with almost every woman he came across. Actually, he flirted with almost every _thing_ he came across.

"Of course he doesn't." Lily shook her head. "Except sometimes for other people," She said more quietly. And that much was true, sometimes he would tell her how nice James thought she looked, or how beautiful James though her hair was. She'd roll her eyes and elbow him and he'd laugh.

"Should I ask?" James raised a brow.

"No." Lily shook her head and smiled at him. "But I have some questions for you if that's alright?"

"Of course." He nodded.

"Are the Bones' and the McKinnons the only royal guest coming?"

"Yes. They are the neighboring kingdoms to the east and north."

"What about our neighbors to the south?"

"We're not exactly on good terms." James shrugged. "I sent and invitation, but it was simply a curtesy. They politely declined. I don't think I've ever actually met them."

"So, there are how many princes and princesses in the castle right now?"

James gave her a strange look. "There are four princes and two princesses. Why are you asking?"

"Well," She shrugged her shoulders and looked over at him. "Aren't you meant to marry one of these princesses?" She was blunt and it took James by surprise. He cleared his throat and looked away. He didn't want to talk about this with anyone, least of all Lily, the girl he was in love with, the girl he would prefer to sit beside him on a throne of her own.

"I got the feeling that they are- I mean my father used to talk about- They're expecting something along those lines." He finally said, still refusing to look at her.

"And what are they like?" Lily asked. James cleared his throat again.

"Well, they're both very nice." James said. "They're princesses, so they're trained to be nice."

"I take it princes don't get that training?" She smiled. Her tone was almost flirty and James wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to that.

"No, I suppose not." He said, glancing over at her. "We are trained on how to be leaders. We need to be authoritative and commanding and-"

"James," Lily interrupted. "I was teasing you. You're a very nice person." He didn't need her to say that, he knew it was true without her saying it, but it was still incredibly nice to hear.

"I wasn't always." He said, looking down at his feet. He was a king dammit. He should not be caused to blush so easily by this girl. He felt the back of his neck get warm.

"Yes, I suppose that's true. But you've managed to see the error of your ways." She smiled warmly and he didn't know if she did it on purpose or not, but their shoulders brushed against one another. "Besides, I doubt you could find anyone now who could honestly call you anything but kind." The blush was creeping up and he could feel his ears get hot now. He needed to get a handle on this and soon. The torches that lit the corridor were doing things to her hair and her eyes and it was making James' stomach twist. "Are you alright, James?" She asked, looking less warm and more concerned now.

"Yes, of course. I'm fine. I'm just-" Should he be honest? She liked honestly, right? Even if it made him sound a bit like a love sick fool? "I'm not used to your praise." That was a nice middle ground. "Though I would like to get used to it." He added, internally cursing himself. He should have just left it alone, but he had to go and add something playful and flirty and-

Lily laughed. She hadn't minded, which shouldn't surprise him all that much, because she rarely seemed to mind much anymore when he got a bit friendly with her. There were times however when she shut down and disappeared, like when he had shown her the round table. "I can't sing your praise too often; you might get a big head."

"We can't have that." James grinned.

They walked quietly for a while and James was enjoying the comfortable silence when Lily turned to him and put a hand on his arm. "What are you going to do about the princesses?" She asked, quite bluntly yet again. "Are you going to marry one of them?"

He couldn't read her, he never could, but he had never cared all that much until right now. Before it was a fun game, a frustrating game at times, but the fun always outweighed the frustration. Now however, he _needed_ to know why she was asking him this. And because of this, he couldn't stop himself from asking, "Why?"

Lily's eyes widened for a moment and then she took a deep breath and glanced down at her feet. "I suppose I'm not allowed to just be curious?" She asked, looking up at him through her lashes.

"I don't want to marry either one of them." He said quietly, stepping closer to her.

"I know that." She said, also lowering her voice. "But will you?"

"Should I not?" He asked, taking another step closer to her. They were too close now.

"I'm a peasant," She said, taking a step back. He wasn't sure if it was meant to be a reminder of why they couldn't be together or not, but that's what he heard. He took another step closer and reached for her hand as she said, "I'm not going to pretend to know anything about matters of state."

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, he'd hesitated in taking her hand, but he held it now. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what? Like we're friends?" She asked, smiling still. "That's what we are, right?"

"I love you." He said, same as he had nearly half a dozen times before. "Even if it's a bit uneven, were more than friends."

"I'm not a princess." Her smile looked almost bleak, but she squeezed his hand.

"I don't care." He shrugged.

"I think you should." She pulled her hand away and pressed her lips together.

"Didn't you just say that you weren't going to pretend to know about matters of state?" He asked, trying to smile.

Lily opened her mouth and then closed it. She nodded slowly. "I did say that."

James was going to kiss her if he didn't get out of this dimly lit hallway soon, only this time he knew that she would mind if he kissed her, unlike when they had been standing near the round table. This time he wasn't projecting his feelings onto her, he knew that she was uncomfortable and looking for an escape, so he gave her one. "To the grounds?"

Lily faltered for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, of course."


	22. The Hidden Princess and the Pauper

**AN: Here you go. I really like many parts of this chapter and I hope you do to. It was one of those pathetic instances where I laughed at my own writing and in a good way- Though in my defense, I wrote much of this chapter months ago. I don't know if that makes it better or not, but it makes me feel better about it.**

 **Anyway, as always, I ask you to review**

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" _She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. 'Time' for her isn't something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water."_ _  
_ _―_ _Roman Payne_

 _or_

" _You can keep as quiet as you like, but one of these days somebody is going to find you."_

 _―_ _Haruki Murakami_ _,_ _1Q84_

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 **Chapter Twenty-Two: The Hidden Princess and the Pauper**

Remus was seated beside Sirius in the Tavern as people gathered around the table they sat at to watch Sirius play cards with strangers who were here for the tourney. The local men were having a good old time watching _other_ people get duped out of their money for a change. Remus had a book out and was trying to ignore the growing noise while he studied the rules of jousting matches, archery contests and other games that would be played during the tourney.

He wasn't quite sure what his main role would be, but the first day of the tournament started tomorrow, opening with a royal ceremony where all attending kings and their families would ride through town, people would follow them out to the stands. It was a parade of sorts and Remus couldn't help but be a little nervous about the whole thing. Servants and knights didn't ride in the parade, it was only the royal families, and James- well he was it for the Potters. That had to be lonely, especially now when it hadn't been that long since he lost his family.

Sirius nudged him and leaned in closer. "I love this bloody tourney." He grinned, dropping his winnings into a leather satchel he had tied to his waist. He had been winning a lot more than usual, since there were a lot of new men around, eager to engage in some sort of competition and still unaware that it was near impossible to beat Sirius.

"Maybe you can buy yourself a bed and stop sleeping on my floor." Remus said, turning the page of his book.

"Nah, I'm saving it." He said, as he always did when Remus suggested he spend his money on something useful.

"I'm not saying you should get your own place, I'm only suggesting that you get a bed. You can put it where you currently sleep, just-"

"I'm saving it." He interrupted.

"Right, but you won't tell me what for."

"It's going to be a surprise." He grinned, and then turned to the crowd. "Anyone else want to have a go? I'm about four drinks in and working on my fifth so your chances of winning are only going up." Remus shook his head and looked up at Sirius, he'd never seen him lose at anything. He'd almost beaten him once at the terrible card game that Sirius had taught him with the picture cards and the strange rules, but no matter how many times they played, or how well he thought he understood it, he just couldn't win. The knights couldn't best him at sword play, the men couldn't best him at cards or dice. He was unbeatable and Remus, despite being very annoyed by this, was also rather proud.

"I'll have a go," The surrounding area got a bit quieter, as the voice that said this belonged to a woman, and there weren't many woman who frequented this pub. At least not young woman, and this voice sounded fairly young.

She stepped forward and Remus and Sirius both looked at one another with raised brows when they saw who it was. Nymphadora Tonks, still dressed in her expensive gown and her hair clean and neatly set in an elaborate up do, looked wildly out of place in this dirty, old pub where men came to drink and gamble.

"Cousin," Sirius said, slightly weary. "What are you doing here?" There was a sound of agreement from the surrounding crowd. Women were allowed here of course, but _noble_ women?

"I was exploring town," She said and then nodded towards the window, "I saw you through there and I thought I'd pop in and say hi. We've never officially met one another."

"No we haven't." Sirius said, gesturing to the seat across from him. Dora nodded and sat down. "Your mum ran away before she had you, and then I was disowned and I suppose our paths never crossed until now. Though, your mum always was my favorite cousin."

"Didn't you only have the three?" Nyphadora asked, her brows raised. "And Bella was one of them so it wasn't really a tough contest, was it?"

"Cissy was pretty great too." Sirius shrugged. "But Andromeda used to sneak me biscuits after my mum put me to bed. Of course I was four the last time I saw her."

"I feel like that would make you friends today as well." Remus chuckled. "Someone bringing you biscuits."

"It would, Remus, why don't you bring me biscuits in bed?"

"You don't have a bed." Remus smirked.

"Right." Sirius said. "I'm saving my money." He explained to his cousin.

"Where do you sleep?" She asked, narrowing her brow.

"My floor." Remus said and Nymphadora laughed.

"Well, are we doing this?" She said, motioning to the cards. "I should warn you that I'm rather good."

"Well," Sirius said, picking them up and shuffling the deck. "I should warn you that I've never lost."

"Never?" She asked skeptically.

"Not since I worked out how to play." He shrugged.

"I don't believe you."

"It's true." Remus said, finally closing his book and setting it aside. "I mean, I've only known him a year, but I've never seen him lose at anything."

"I still think I can win." She pulled out a gold coin and placed it on the table. Sirius studied it for a moment, wondering if he should gamble with his younger, female cousin. Maybe, Remus wasn't sure. He could have been thinking about how much closer he would be to his savings goal once he won the gold piece.

"Alright," He said finally, reaching into his satchel and pulling out a gold piece. Remus hadn't seen him win that. None of the men that he gambled had that kind of money, so he was surprised to see that Sirius had it. He dealt the cards and put the deck in the middle of the table before flipping over three more cards face up. "You know how to play, yes?"

"Of course I do. I'm arrogant, but I'm not going to pretend to know how to play a game that I've never played before." She laughed and then twirled a piece of hair out of her bun and wrapped it around her finger as she inspected her cards. "I'll take two." She said, taking two cards out of her hand and sliding them across the table. Sirius nodded and slid two new cards back towards her.

"I only want one." He said, discarding one and drawing a new card. Remus leaned over to see what he had, but he hid his cards from him. He reached out and flipped over the last two cards and almost at the same time, they smirked. Remus laughed at how much they looked like family just then, near identical faces they wore. "What do you look so smug for?" Sirius asked, tapping his fingers on the table.

"I'm going to beat you." She said, tilting her head to the side. "And in front of all these men here," She motioned to the small crowd that was still standing around watching the game.

"You think you're going to beat me, and that's cute." Sirius said. "Though if you do beat me, I will be nothing but impressed, because I couldn't have bought cards this good." Dora's look of confidence wavered for only a moment, but enough for Sirius to get even more smug.

"Well," She said. "We'll see about that," Then she laid out her cards. It was a good hand. Two high pairs. But Sirius just chuckled. "Royal flush." He said, laying down a hand that was better.

"How did you do that?" She asked, laughing good-naturedly despite the fact that she had just lost.

"Luck of the draw." He smirked, reaching out and swiping up the two gold coins. "Now, why don't we get you back to a more respectable part of town." He stood up and addressed the room, "Not that I don't appreciate your company lads, but a woman of my cousins stature is too good for any of you." Remus shook his head, but the rest of the men took his jibe as well as he meant it, playfully shoving his shoulders as he walked to the door. For all his talk about not liking people, and not needing a family or friends, people sure did seem to like him.

When the three of them were on the street, Remus turned towards Nymphadora, holding his book in both hands behind his back. "So, what really brought you all the way out here? We're a good thirty minutes from the castle."

She shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. "I suppose I just wanted to get as far from the castles as I could manage without leaving the city." She said. "The royal families arrived today, and they all seem a bit skeptical of my family. As if at any moment my mother is going to slit their throats and pour their blood into our goblets." Remus flinched and Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "I'm sorry, that was terribly violent, I'm just so frustrated. I mean, I've never hurt anyone on purpose. I have accidentally tripped into, over or on a bunch of people, but I've never intentionally caused anyone harm and I feel like they should get to know me before deciding that I'm bad news." She rambled a bit, more so than Lily and that made Remus smile because Lily was quite good at rambling.

"It's not up to you to decide how people are going to perceive you." Sirius said, looking up at the stars. "You've just got to prove them wrong."

"Didn't you only just start taking that advice?" She asked, pressing her lips together in a small smile. "Because I heard stories about you before, when you roamed from tavern to tavern, gorging yourself in boos and sleeping with all the women you could find and-"

"Woah, woah, woah," Sirius laughed. "All the women I could find? Don't you think that's a bit of an exaggeration?"

She shrugged and then nodded. "I suppose, but still. You weren't exactly the hero type, and now," She motioned around to the city, "Everyone loves you. How did you manage that?"

"I just told you," Sirius said, "I proved them wrong."

"He showed them that he cares about stuff, he didn't stop drinking or anything." Remus corrected. "I'm sure you'll find a way to get the royal families to see you for who you really are."

"You're Remus, right? King James' servant?"

"He's more than that," Sirius said, though Remus didn't mind his title. He was James' servant. "He's one of James' best mates."

"Yes, I've heard that as well." She narrowed her brow. "People can be awfully rude to the young king."

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked.

Nymphadora shrugged. "They just- They say things about how James doesn't know the difference between a peasant and a princess. That he's losing touch, that he's falling down to the people's level, that he's- well, they're saying a lot of things, but that's just because they're upset. King James isn't exactly who we all thought he was going to be two or three years ago. But you can bet your salt that people like my mum and dad are happy about that. That's really why we're here. To let him know that even though there are nobles turning their nose up at him, that we have money and we're more than willing to let him have it if it makes things a bit easier for him. He doesn't need those snobs."

"He doesn't know the difference between a peasant and a princess?" Remus laughed.

"We can't really counter that one," Sirius smirked. "I mean, the way he looks at her-"

"At who?" Nymphadora asked, grinning back and forth at both of them. "Is he really in love with a peasant girl- er, with a non-royal? Which of those sounds better?"

Sirius grinned, "Her name is Lily, and she's a nurse at the town hospital."

"Lily? Is that the same girl who was-"

"Your aunt's maid." Remus finished. "Yes."

"That must have been terrifying for her."

"Lily isn't frightened easily." Remus said, though he supposed that wasn't true. She was very easily frightened by the thought of her friends and family in danger, but when it was her life on the line she was as brave as they came. "Though, they were friends before Bella went mad, and so, it's a sore subject for her."

"But the king fancies her?" She laughed. "That's fantastic. Can you imagine the look on all those stupid noble girls' faces when he marries her instead of one of them? Oh, what will the kings think? Well, actually I suppose Queen Bones was a peasant before she married the King, so maybe they'll understand. But my mum doesn't have many nice things to say about the head of the McKinnon family. Harsh man, she says. Holds his children to ridiculous standards, especially his daughters. That's why the oldest one ran away. Well, probably why, no one really knows for sure because no one's been able to find her."

"McKinnon, did you say?" Remus asked. He knew a McKinnon. "Her name wouldn't happen to be Marlene, would it?"

"Yes, actually." Nymphadora narrowed her eyes at him. "You wouldn't happen to know where the lost princess is, would you?"

"You don't think?" Sirius asked, looking at Remus, but Remus wasn't paying attention, his mind was reeling. Marlene McKinnon, the one that he knew, was a woman pretending to be a man so that she could be a knight, so that she could be Lancelot, the legendary man who's main goal is to serve and protect the people. She couldn't be a princess as well, could she? Surely she would have told him that. And if she was the lost princess, wouldn't she have used a different name? Wouldn't she have at the very least, changed her _last_ name?

"Remus?" Nymphadora waved her hand in front of his face. "You do know where she is, don't you?"

"Yes," He said. "But you can't tell anyone." He quickly changed course and headed towards Hagrid's hut.

oOoOo

Marlene was seated at Hagrid's table with her feet kicked up on the edge and a large cup of tea in hand. "I know we've been saying it for a while now, but we really are going to move out eventually." She told Hagrid as he took a seat in the chair across from her. Mary and Dorcas had gone to bed about an hour ago, and she could hear Mary snoring in the other room. "You'll get your house back soon."

"I like having ya'll here." Hagrid said gruffly. "I've never had much, that is ter say that I- I mean I've just enjoyed your company is all." Marlene smiled at him.

"Of course you have, we're quite enjoyable," She winked, "But you can't tell me that you don't miss having the place to yourself just a little bit."

"I can say that." He said. "It's been just me and Fang since I was a boy- Well, actually Fang came about later I suppose, but it get's lonesome out here on the edge of the city."

"You've got Molly to keep you company." She said with a smirk. Molly Weasley was Hagrid's closest neighbor and they always found something to argue about. All in good spirits of course, except when Hagrid's animals get loose or his dog chased one of her children.

Hagrid scoffed. "Just promise that you won't go too far. And that you'll visit."

"Of course we will." She said, finding that to be one of the easier promises she'd made in her life.

"Are you excited for the tourney?" He asked, taking a sip of his tea. Hagrid didn't seem to mind that almost everything he cooked was burnt to some degree, the tea was no exception.

Marlene sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I mean, I'm excited to compete." She said. "But I'd much rather it be an event that didn't reach across borders."

"What do you mean?"

"The neighboring kings and queens are here." She said. "And, well-" She'd entrusted Hagrid with so much, there was no real reason she shouldn't tell him the truth about this as well, but she hadn't told anyone, not even Mary and Dorcas. "I'm not originally from this kingdom." She said instead. It was painful to think about the life she left behind. Her brothers and sister, her mother and she even missed her father. Time and distance had made her forgive most of his perceived wrongdoings, and being homesick made her forget the rest. She knew why she left, she knew that she would never have been happy being stuffed into a gown and married off to a prince, though she did find it slightly ironic that if she had stayed, there was a good chance of her ending up in Camelot anyway.

"I didn't know that." Hagrid said, and then there was a knock on the door. Hagrid raised a brow at her and she let her feet drop to the table and then pushed herself up.

"It's awfully late," She said as she opened the door, finding Remus, Sirius and some girl standing on the other side. "What are you two doing here? And who are you?"

"Tonks," The girl said, sticking her hand out. Marlene inspected the girl's dress and hair and clean skin and then wondered what in the hell she was doing all the way out here with Remus and Sirius.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Marlene." She said, grabbing the girl's hand.

"Are you sure it's wise to introduce yourself like that?" Tonks asked, giving her a peculiar look. Marlene looked back and forth from Sirius to Remus until Remus finally spoke.

"You introduced yourself as Marlene McKinnon." He said. "It was only once, but that's what you called yourself." Marlene's face went pale and she stepped outside to join them.

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" She asked, trying her best to look intimidating, but she wasn't wearing her armor, and she didn't have her sword, so she doubted that she was doing a very convincing job.

"So it's true?" Sirius laughed. "You _are_ the lost princess?"

"Keep your voice down!" She said, looking about unnecessarily.

"If you want to keep it a secret, why didn't you change your name? Why did you use your real last name?" Remus asked.

"Have you ever heard of hiding in plain sight? It works for me pretty well." She stuck him with a look. He knew that she was Lancelot.

"Yes, but _you kept your real name_." He said, and he had her there. "What are you going to do when someone mentions you and then your family starts asking questions?"

"Why would anyone mention me? No one except for you two and Lily knows me. I've never even met King James," She said. "I just stay here with Hagrid all day. I kept my name because when I left my family, I missed them. And I know that it's- it's idiotic, but keeping my name made me feel connected to them. And none of the peasants know the names of the princesses of other kingdoms anyway so it was never a big deal. I had no way of knowing that James would-" She had almost slipped up in front of Sirius and this stranger. She had almost said that hadn't expected James to make her a knight. "I didn't know that James would invite my father over for a tourney." She said after a moment of hesitation. "I didn't know that I'd ever be this near my family again."

The boys were quiet and Marlene allowed herself to take a few deep breaths. She had to calm down. She was getting emotional, and that was never good. When she got emotional she slipped up and said something that she didn't mean to say, she needed to keep her cool. But it was her family…

"Why did you leave?" Tonks asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" She asked again.

"I told you-"

"Tonks isn't an answer."

She pursed her lips and nodded. "Alright, my name is Nymphadora Tonks, but don't call me Nymphadora, I _hate_ it. My mother and father are Theodore and Andromeda Tonks." When Marlene still looked confused, "My mum is Bellatrix's sister." Then she grinned a bit. "And this one here's my cousin." She said, linking arms with Sirius. "Which I think is much more interesting than the first bit. Now, enough about me, what about you? Why did you leave your family if you miss them all? And if you do miss them, why don't you just borrow one of my dresses, take a nice long bath- maybe two- and then go and see them? I'm sure they would be happy to see you after all this time- actually I have no idea how long it's been since you've last seen them-"

"Does she always talk this much?" Marlene interrupted, looking at Remus.

"I don't know," He shrugged, clearing his throat. "We just met her today."

"Well, listen here _Nymphadora_ , it's none of your business. I left because I wanted to. I can't put on a dress and go and say hullo, because my father would make sure I never left his sight for the rest of my miserable life." She was ready to turn on her heel and march back into the house when Tonks opened her mouth again.

"I asked you _not_ to call me that." She said. "And I don't understand why you're being so nasty when I'm simply trying to help you."

"Things are a bit more complicated than they appear." Remus said quietly to the girl.

"Look, that may be," She said. "But the real reason she's-" She looked up at Marlene, "I think that the real reason that you're snapping at me is because you're upset. You're upset that your family is as close as they are and you think that you can't go to them. But if I were in your shoes and I missed my family as much as I think you might, than nothing would stop me from going to see them. Even if I had to create some elaborate plan to avoid my father imprisoning me." She grinned, and then frowned. "You don't really think he'd imprison you, do you?"

"I never said he would imprison me." She rolled her eyes, trying not to let her mind start working on a plan. "I said he would never take his eyes off of me- Which I suppose does imply some sort of imprisonment…" She trailed off and looked at the ground. With everything that had been going on, with becoming a knight and the fight against Bella and then this new threat on the rise, she hadn't let herself dwell on her family. She hoped that they were doing well, but she'd never been close enough to actually check in on them.

"Well, all I'm saying is that I'm staying in the castle with your family. And if you want to come up with a plan, I can be quite a good sidekick. Or note deliverer. Whichever you think you need." She then turned to Sirius and Remus. "Though maybe not right now as it is getting very late and I don't like worrying my mum too much. Maybe we should head back up to the castle."

"Yes, that's probably best." Remus said. Sirius and Tonks nodded at Marlene and then started walking away, but Remus held back.

"I'm really sorry," He said once they were out of earshot. "I didn't know that she was going to come on so strong. Or that she- I guess I just acted without thinking and that wasn't fair, especially because this was your secret to keep or tell and I just-"

"Remus, it's alright." She said, reaching out and touching his shoulder. "You were worried about me and you over reacted, it's completely understandable."

Remus smirked and looked up at her. "Next time I promise to over react when other people aren't around." He said. "Though, what Tonks says goes for me as well. If you do want help contacting your family, I'm almost always in the castle and have access to your family's suite."

"I'll think about it." Marlene said. "But I should probably tell the girls and Hagrid who I am first."

"They don't know?" He asked, surprised.

"I left that life behind." She said with a shrug. "It didn't seem right to tell them about it. I'm not Princess Marlene anymore, I gave up that title when I ran off. And I don't regret leaving, I don't regret giving up that life, I am doing so much more good here than I ever could have as someone's wife, but-"

"That doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt." Remus said with a sad smile. "I know what you mean. Not on such a large scale, but I also left my family to come here, even if it was just my mum and we were poor and not royal at all but-" She pushed his shoulder.

"Thank you."

"Thanks for not getting upset with me." He said and then turned around to leave.

'Oh and, Remus," She added.

"Yeah?"

"Keep an eye on that girl, yes? She's kinda… different."

oOoOo

Severus wasn't exactly sure if this plan was going to work, after all, the king had seen him in the Hollows and he had stood with Dolohov and the others, but the king had also witnessed how Dolohov treated him, so he believed that he could talk his way out of that. After all, Voldemort needed this plan to work. He needed someone on the inside. He had an informant already, but apparently he was a spineless man.

He was on his way to the stables now to meet this informant and see if he had anything useful to offer him. His purse thumped against his leg with every step and he wasn't used to that, to having money. It wasn't his money, it was for the informant and supplied by Voldemort, but it still made him feel powerful to have it there. He walked with his head held a bit higher, his shoulders back and people got out of his way. They could hear the jingling too, or maybe his newfound confident had made him look more intimidating. Either option was appealing to him.

"Peter?" He called as he entered the back of the stables. There was a resounding answer from about a dozen horses, and then a smaller man with a mop of dirty, blond hair stepped out from one of the stalls, swinging the door closed behind him.

"I'm over here, sir. If you could wait one moment," He disappeared for a moment and Severus wondered what on earth a stable boy would have to offer the Dark Lord. The man returned and walked up to Severus, holding out his hand. "I'm Peter, it's nice to meet you. Will you be needing a horse?"

"No." Severus said. "I'm here on business."

"Well, are you lost then?" Peter asked, her childlike features scrunching up in confusion. "I can give you directions-"

"I'm exactly where I need to be." Severus interrupted, reaching down and untying the purse from his belt. He held it up for Peter to see. "I think this belongs to you."

The man's demeanor instantly changed. He pressed his lips together and eyed the bag of gold as though it was the most wonderful thing on earth. Which, it very well could be. But Severus didn't understand why he was still working as the stable boy if he had received similar bribes from the Dark Lord before. His shoes even had holes in them, what was he doing with the money? Maybe he was a gambler, he thought. It didn't matter what he did with the money after all, as long as he gave the information they needed.

"I can't do this again." He muttered, crossing his arms and looking down at his feet. "I've done enough, I've helped you all enough and the k-king is d-d-dead. I can't do this again."

"But you will." Severus said, reaching out and grabbing one of Peter's hands and shoving the money in it. "Because you're a greedy little rat. You don't care about the royal family. All you care about is this." He said, patting the bag in his Peter's hand.

"That's not true, King James has been nothing but kind to me and Lily said that she was-"

"Enough of this." Severus sighed. He remembered Lily from the hospital in town. And while his leg was still bothering him a great deal, he had enjoyed meeting her. "What does that have to do with anything?" He asked. "Do you want the money or don't you?"

"I mean-" He looked back at the money and sighed. He looked like he was really struggling.

"That's thirty gold pieces, Peter." He said. "That's a very substantial sum."

"And you're very generous to offer it but-" He took a deep breath and shook his head, pushing the money back at Severus. "I can't take it. I c-can't betray the King. Not this one." He said, trying to sound confidant, but failing miserably. Severus sighed. If he had to do this the hard way, he would. It'd been a while since he got to use magic out in public.

"Oi! Peter!" A voice called and Severus swore under his breath.

"Lily!" Peter sounded beyond relieved. "I'm over here."

The redhead popped out from behind the stable door and smiled at Peter, before catching sight of Severus. Her frown made Severus frown. "What are you doing here?" She asked, looking between him and Peter.

"He's just h-here on business." Peter said. Lily's eyes flickered to the bag of money in Severus's hand. "Came to rent a h-horse."

That seemed to be enough explanation for Lily and that made Severus think that Peter might be a better informant than he originally thought. People trusted him.

"Is this man harassing you, Peter?" Lily asked, walking closer. "He was giving me a hard time in the hospital earlier and I wouldn't mind passing his name along if he is going around causing trouble for other people as well."

"Pass my name along?" Severus asked, raising a brow. "And just who would you give my name to?"

"Lily's friends with everyone." Peter interjected. "She's very n-nice. What did you need, Lily?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, I remembered you telling me that that mare was due any day now so I came to see if there was a baby yet." She looked excited and Peter laughed.

"Yes, there is." He nodded. "A baby girl. Bigger than normal, the delivery took hours." Severus was getting bored, but he was still interested in this redhead and her friends.

"A foul is a wonderful thing." Severus droned. "But-"

"Right, you were renting a horse." Lily said, giving him a look that made him wonder if perhaps she didn't believe Peter's story all that much. "I'll wait here. I know it's not a lengthy process."

"Right," Peter said, looking between Lily and Severus. "Do you have any requests?"

"Of course not." He said with a grin. "Whichever is the easiest for you."

"Alright, I'll fetch a horse and the paperwork than." When Peter was gone, Lily crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"You're here on business?" Lily asked. Severus nodded. "You told me that you were moving here. To make a better life for yourself."

"I don't know what's got you so distrusting of me, but did you ever think that maybe I don't want to share my life with complete strangers? That perhaps I fancy my privacy?"

"I'd say you're a liar." She said. "I don't know why you're here, but I don't trust you. Peter is my friend and if you're rude to him you'll have me to answer to, do you understand?" Severus knew that he had magic and that this small, slender woman probably couldn't hurt him if she had a long sword on her, but in that moment he felt threatened. He didn't show it of course, he just shrugged and smirked at her.

"You going to tell your friends about me?" He teased.

"I think I might." She said.

"And who might they be?" He took a step closer to her, raising a brow. "The town black smith? Or maybe some of the men down by the river?"

"Are you calling me a whore for a second time?" She asked incredulously.

"No," He shook his head and backtracked. "I wasn't- I was just trying to imply that you didn't have very powerful friends. I didn't mean to-" She laughed and he felt his face heat up. He wasn't used to talking to women, let alone poor women who didn't know when they should hold their tongues.

"Maybe you shouldn't presume to know so much." She suggested. And before he could ask her what she meant by that, Peter was back with a horse and some paperwork.

"It's two gold for the week, seven for the month." He said.

"I'll just have her for the week thanks." Severus said, pulling out two gold pieces from the bag and handing them over. Peter handed him a writing utensil and then turned around so he could use his back to sign the paperwork.

"Her names, Wendy and she's one of the friendlier one's we got here." He assured Severus.

"She's a horse." He rebutted. "She's a method from getting from point a, to point b." He took her reigns and then looked over at Lily. "Are you going to tell me who your friends are?"

"I think I want you to be surprised." She said with a smile that made him more curious than he'd like to admit.

"Have it your way then." He said. He re-tied the purse to his belt and then stepped into the stirrup, threw his other leg over the saddle and rode off. He didn't know what in the hell he was going to do with a horse, but now he had one for the week and he hadn't managed to get information. He'd also potentially made an enemy of the poor nurse girl. Lily. He'd have to find out more about her. She was acting far too smug for someone who hung out with the sick and injured all day.

oOoOo

It was officially the first day of the tourney and Lily could not have been more excited. The sooner this thing started, the sooner it would be over, and the sooner her hospital would go back to being filled only by sick old people and children who had tripped while racing one another. As it stood now, they had almost a dozen men who had been in some sort of pub fit, another five who had fallen off their horses practicing for the jousting tournament while drunk and two who had managed to impale themselves with their own sword. Lily was almost impressed with the first gentleman who had walked in, his sword clean through his shoulder and still there. The second man came in with it in his leg and she just rolled her eyes.

Most people seemed to be having a lot of fun thanks to the tourney. James had made sure to order more beer than Lily thought existed in their kingdom, and venders were lining the streets, handing it out to nearly everyone for almost no money at all to celebrate opening day. And everyone was taking advantage of all the strangers who had come from all over by lowering their prices and quality. The bakers sold bread that had been stale for almost a week and no one noticed because they were drunk on ale, children were making signs out of old shipment crates and homemade paint and selling them to people so they could bribe the venders into giving them ale as well. She hoped at least some of the children were saving the money for something useful. Though she was happy to see that most of the signs that they made about James were very nice and supportive, even though as king, James wasn't going to be competing in the tourney.

Lily had finished up at the hospital nearly an hour ago and rushed back to her house, almost tempted to climb onto the roof of a nearby building to escape the crowds, but she managed to keep her feet on the ground and when she got back to her house she rushed inside to change out of her nurse's dress. She was going to run a comb through her hair, but she couldn't find her comb so her fingers sufficed for a moment before she decided that it was a lost cause and tied it up instead. She knew that she wasn't the cleanest, and she still smelled like stale alcohol, but it was as good as it was going to get for now.

"Lily?" Remus knocked on her door. She pulled it open and stepped out into the street. "I can't wait until this is over." He said. Lily laughed and nodded.

"You have to admit that it brings a certain… stench to our city."

"The whole city smells like piss." Remus scowled. "And I've heard about twenty men say that we don't have enough brothels in the city."

"I've been called a whore twice." Lily countered. "By the same man, but still."

"Who the hell called you a whore?" She was glad that he looked as offended as he did.

"Doesn't matter." Lily shrugged. "Though he was an awfully strange bloke. Are we supposed to be heading to the arena to support James?"

"Yes, the parade is going on right now and he's riding alone. I know that he's been acting tough, and pretending that it doesn't bother him, but it's tradition to ride through-"

"With your family, yes I know. And He's just lost his father and sister three months ago."

"Yes, so we'll be meeting him in the king's box." Remus said. "It'll be nice up there, but we'll both be there as servants."

"I'm not-"

"Nobody cares, Lily." Remus said, grabbing her forearm and pulling her out of her house. "And no one will notice anyway. You could go and put your nurses uniform back on and be a medical aid,"

"No, it's got all kinds of… well, it needs to be burned." She said, frowning.

"Alright, then let's go." She looked up the street and saw the crowd.

"This is going to be miserable, isn't it?"

"For almost everyone." Remus nodded. "Stay close and don't let go." He said, and then they were dodging through the crowd. Remus was pretty good and weaving in and around groups of people, knowing when to push through and when to step to the side, but it was still taking forever and the close proximity with all these people and the heat baring down on her made Lily extremely hot. The river was starting to sound like the better option here, even if thousands of men had been using it as a public toilet for the last couple of weeks.

But soon they had made it to the arena, just beating the parade of royals. "Where have you been?" Sirius asked, approaching them both in his knight's armor. Lily smirked at him and reached over and pinched his cheek.

"Don't you look all mature and grown up."

Sirius made a face and shook his head. "Would you behave yourself woman? I'd rather not arrest you. I've already arrested four people today. I'm not a guard, and that's not my job." He seemed distressed about this but Lily only found it amusing.

"Then why did you arrest them?" Lily asked.

"Because they were being drunken idiots," He muttered. "And James told us to help keep everyone in line."

"The crowds are impossible." Remus said, by way of explanation. "But I had to pick up Lily. She didn't even know that we wanted her here today."

"Why wouldn't we want her here?" Sirius asked, looking at Lily as though she had offended him. Remus just shrugged, his face looking eerily similar to Sirius's. "We're James' family." Sirius said. "And it's not technical or anything so we couldn't ride in the parade with him but we should definitely be with him today. It's an important day for him."

"I know," Lily said. "But I didn't think it would be appropriate."

"Why wouldn't it be appropriate?" Remus asked. "You're a close personal friend-"

"We're his _family_." Sirius corrected.

"Right, and you should be here."

Lily huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Princess Amelia and Princess Charlotte are here to meet him. As in they are waiting for him to choose one of them for his bride. People in Camelot don't know how to mind their own business so I assume word has gotten around that James and I spend a lot of time together and-"

"And you don't want to insult the royal families." Remus nodded. "That makes perfect sense except James wants you here and he doesn't care what other people think. It's both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. As a king it's really not good at all, but still, you have to be here." Lily huffed, but allowed herself to be pushed into the king's box. "Wait here." Remus said.

Lily looked around and could see why they weren't so concerned about the other royal families being offended by her presence. Unless she walked up and looked over the edge of the railing, no one would know that she was in here. The box was much higher than the stands across from them, which were more along the lines of benches for the peasants. She could barely make out the faces of anyone down there, they were really just little blurs from up here.

It didn't take long before the crowds that were gathered around the arena began to cheer and then Remus and Sirius returned with James, who looked annoyed by their concern. At least that's what Lily assumed he was annoyed with. "I'm fine." He said, confirming her theory. "I'm- Lily?" She saw Remus and Sirius exchange satisfied nods and then had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

"Hullo," She smiled at him. "Are you ready to start the games?"

"I'm really glad you're here." He said, walking over and taking her hand. He turned around and looked back at Remus and Sirius. "You two, not so much."

"We're a family," Sirius sighed.

"I'm the one that brought Lily," Remus said, speaking over Sirius.

James shook his head and then turned back to Lily. "I'm very ready to start the games. The sooner they start the sooner everyone will leave. And the sooner everything will go back to normal." He shot another look at the lads.

"You realize that this entire thing was orchestrated by you, right?" Lily reminded him, very aware that they were still holding hands _and_ in front of Sirius and Remus. She had to work very hard to keep her cheeks from heating up.

"Yes, but I regret that decision very much and you should never let me throw a tourney again." He said as though she had a say in what he did, which caused her to laugh and him to smile. "I saw three drunken brawls on the ride out here. It's not even noon yet." He sighed. "I guess I should go and address the people."

"That's probably best." She nodded. He let go of her hand and walked over to the railing. When he raised a hand the crowd went quiet, but Lily couldn't focus on what he was saying to them because Sirius was waggling his eyebrows at her and Remus was sticking her with a knowing look. She took advantage of James' back being turned to her to roll her eyes dramatically at the both of them.

"Grow up," She muttered.

"Or what?" Sirius shot back.

"Or I'll tell James you're being mean to me and he'll kick you out of this nice box." She said smugly. Sirius opened his mouth and then closed it.

"That's exactly what he would do."

"I know." Still smug. He spit his tongue out at her and then walked over to the row of chairs that were in front of the railing. He took a seat on what would be James's right when he took a seat and Remus walked over and took a seat next to Sirius. That left only a chair on James' left. Lily bit the inside of her cheek and decided to not make any decisions and to just stand at the back of the box where no one could see her. That seemed like a very good idea. She couldn't sit by the king's side, not in front of the entire kingdom. That was a bit much.

James finished his address and the games began. James turned back around and started towards his chair but then his eye caught Lily standing in the back of the box. He narrowed his brow at her and then walked over to her instead. "Why aren't you sitting?" He asked her.

"I can't sit next to you." She said as though it were obvious.

"And why not?" She knew he wasn't really clueless, just- determined.

"We're not going through this again. And it's not just the people on my street who will be throwing rocks in my window- the _entire_ kingdom is out there, plus your royal guests. What would they think if they saw someone like me sitting next to you?"

James pressed his lips together. "Alright, then we'll stand back here."

"James, you're the king, the people are going to want to see you."

"Then I'll walk up to the edge every now and then."

"You can't see anything from back here."

"I can see everything that's important." He said firmly. Lily's eyes darted up to his and she bit down on the tip of her tongue. She didn't have a response for that. She swallowed hard and then started fidgeting with the sleeves of her gown. She wanted to make a joke now. Ask him if he was looking at the lads, but she couldn't, not anymore. They were past jokes and she knew that. He was risking quite a bit having her here in his box and while she wasn't sure if she wanted him to be making these risks, if she wanted to deal with the consequences of these risks, she couldn't find it in her to even consider walking away. She fancied James. She wasn't sure when it had happened, or when she had realized it, but it was true.

It wasn't like when she told Remus that she fancied him. That had been simple and misguided. Remus had been right when he said that it wasn't real, that she should want to wait for the real thing because it would make her stupid and breathless. She'd scoffed at him then, told him that that was stupid and all she wanted was friendship. She wasn't scoffing now.

"Are you alright?" James asked, placing a hand on her arm. Lily looked up at him but still didn't know what to say.

She glanced over to see Remus and Sirius either actually engaged in conversation or doing a very good job pretending and it bothered her that she couldn't tell which it was.

"I'm alright," She said quietly, still fiddling with her sleeves. James reached over and took one of her hands in his own. He didn't say anything this time, he just smiled at her and held her hand, and Lily couldn't help but smile back.


	23. In Need of Family

**AN: ... I don't know. I could give you excuses (can't I always) but I'd rather just give you the chapter and promise that two weeks from now, I will post another chapter. It's already written out, I just need to edit it. So... Happy New Year, please don't hate me.**

 **RECAP: Lily stayed with our boys in the king's box to watch the tourney, and James stayed in the back with her where she was comfortable (away from prying eyes) and was a sap. The Tonks family has shown up and Dora is trying to make friends/stir up some trouble, though her intentions are good. Marlene, turns out, has more secrets than we though and isn't so comfortable with the royal families visiting from neighboring nations. And Petunia is engaged and not talking to Lily all that much.**

 **I think that's about it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _"When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching - they are your family. "_  
 _― Jim Butcher_

 _or_

 _"I have learned that to be with those I like is enough"_  
 _― Walt Whitman_

 **Chapter 23: In Need of Family**

* * *

The end of the first day gave James an opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief. Nothing had fallen apart, there weren't more than a few pub brawls, the nobles were happy, Lily had stayed with him for the entirety of the day- nothing could have gone better. Remus had walked Lily home, as James had to attend a dinner with the royal families, though he managed to add the Tonks family to the guest list both as a show of good faith, and because he thought having a family there that wasn't trying to get James to marry one of their daughters would be nice. Then there was the fact that he appreciated Nymphadora's unfiltered way of speaking, and her parents seemed nice as well. It didn't take James that long to realize that Bella and Andromeda were not cut from the same cloth.

He walked into the Great Hall, the last one to arrive and was not surprised, but slightly annoyed to see that Princess Amelia had coveted his left hand spot. He ginned at her and looked around the table. Princess Charlotte was at the other end of the table and didn't look at all put out by this seating arrangement. James wouldn't be surprised if they'd worked out the arrangement beforehand and he would walk in tomorrow to find Charlotte in Amelia's place. At least they seemed to be playing fair, even if James was trying not to play at all. He knew that they weren't to fault here either, nor their fathers for that matter. This was just what was expected.

"So what did everyone think of the first day?" Nymphadora asked, smiling brightly around the room. James smiled at her, glad to see that she didn't seem to be having a problem making herself comfortable.

"Yes, what do you all think of the games so far? Any favorites yet?" The discussion proceeded, both kings weighing in, their sons cutting them off to throw their support or argue with them. It all felt strange to James, to see families interact like this and his gaze drifted to a portrait of his father on the wall next to them.

They'd been a small and intimate family, even after Bella arrived. They had dinner together of course, and Bella and him would jest, but things never got loud, no one ever laughed like the McKinnon boys were just now. He sighed and felt a warm hand cover his own on the edge of the table. He looked over at Amelia with a raised brow.

"You miss your family?" She asked quietly, as not to interrupt the main discussion going on. He gave her a small smile and nodded.

"I know my father had his faults, but I will always miss him. Especially now when I see so many happy families around me." Amelia nodded.

"I won't presume to know what it's like to lose your only living parent, but my father has been trying to prepare us for my mother's passing. He's trying to play at being strong, that she'll get better but the doctors don't think she has all that much longer."

"I can't imagine." He said, moving his thumb so he could rub the top of her hand. "To watch someone you love pass like that…"

"I only meant to say that you're not alone in your pain, even if everyone is smiling." She said. "We all have things we have to deal with, things that are unpleasant and difficult," She took a deep breath. "You're not alone, my king."

James looked at her for a moment and tried to find a tell that would let him know she wasn't entirely sincere, but he couldn't find any. She was simply kind, which made him smile. "Thank you," He said softly. She smiled at him as well and then patted his hand before pulling hers away.

"We didn't see you all that often in your box today, James." King Johnathan called out. While his daughter didn't seem too miffed that she wasn't seated next to James, the same could not be said for Johnathan. Especially once he had noticed that Amelia had captured James' attention, even if he didn't know what they had been talking about.

"Well I promise you that's where I was," James laughed. "I can't hold a tourney and then not watch the events." Though he hadn't watched all that many of the events, he didn't expect to be called out on it either.

"I've done it before," King Donald laughed, picking up his mug and taking a long swig. "Though it wasn't of my own volition of course. My wife went into labor with Amelia there and we were rushed off to the doctor. Of course, I didn't want anyone to worry so we had the games continue." He smiled at his daughter fondly. "Of course, holding your babe is better than any jousting match."

Amelia chuckled and shook her head. "Don't get all gushy on me, father." She said sternly.

"I'm just telling a story," He said, "It's been a long time since I've held a babe." He looked over to his son. "When are you going to find yourself a wife?"

Edgar laughed and this started another bout of jests. Michael and Robert McKinnon were brought into it and even David McKinnon who was only ten years old. Both of the old men were laughing and Queen Anita was shaking her head. "Oh please," She said laughing. "Can't the lot of you behave yourselves? Every time we get together you get like this." Though everyone knew that she was joking and Andromeda leaned over to talk with her and James was glad to see that Anita seemed to have warmed up to the idea of having the Tonks' in the castle.

"Oh hush, wife," Johnathan jested. "Donald and I are old friends, of course we're going to misbehave a bit." Nymphadora laughed loudly at this.

"You know," She said, picking up her goblet and taking a quick drink. "I was afraid that you lot were going to be stiff and boring." She said. Donald was the first to laugh at this, but soon the table had joined him.

James looked around the room and once again felt a bit out of place. He enjoyed spending time with these people of course, but he kept coming back to the idea of family. He supposed he might feel better if Remus or Sirius were here, they were his closest friends and he considered them family. He knew that they weren't going anywhere.

This time James thought of what his future could look like. He knew that he would not marry Amelia nor Charlotte. It wouldn't be fair to them, or himself. When he thought of the future, Lily was one of the first places that his mind went. They could have a great number of children, enough to fill the table. There would be just as much laughter as there was now, if not more. Remus and Sirius would be there, whoever they found themselves with and any kids they might have. Lily would be seated by his side, their hands intertwined on the edge of the table. A year ago, he didn't give much thought to creating a family for the sake of having a family, only for the sake of having an heir, because it was his duty to give the kingdom an heir. But he wanted more than that now.

"Excuse me," He said, pushing his chair away from the table and standing up. "I have a few matters to attend to before heading off to bed."

"One more mead?" Donald asked, holding up his mug, probably hoping to get his daughter a few more minutes. James smiled and shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, though I will see all of you tomorrow." They dismissed him and James walked out into the corridor, pulling at his collar before unbuttoning a few buttons.

Merlin he was in over his head. He had to force himself not to go down to Lily's house just then. He didn't think she or her father would appreciate him showing up unannounced this late in the evening. He would have to settle for seeing her tomorrow, but that seemed like a lifetime away.

He slowly walked back to his room and took off his silks and pulled on his nightclothes before sitting down at his desk. The book that Lily had left there the other day was still sitting on the corner. James picked it up and ran his thumb over the cover.

He'd have to be honest with her sooner or later. He couldn't keep playing this game, tiptoeing around her because his feelings made her unsure, that wasn't fair to him. He needed to come out and tell her what he wanted, he needed to know for certain one way or the other. And even as he repeated that over and over in his mind, he couldn't help but think about what might happen if he told her and things didn't go the way he wanted them to. Sure he would have an answer, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to move on from Lily. And what would happen then? Would he have to marry one of the princesses? He couldn't do that.

He put the book down and rubbed his hands over his face. He had a lot on his plate at the moment and he needed to start getting things in order. He needed to work out the bloody round table business, he needed to find out where Bella had ended up and who that man was who had been in his father's throne, he needed to work out a proper and just way to rule his people. But those were all dutiful needs. What James really needed, selfishly, was Lily.

oOoOo

Remus had managed to get his chores for James and Dumbledore done earlier only for James to ask him another favor. Not in a position to refuse him, he ran all the way down to the armory and back to James' chambers in near record speed to collect the gloves that James had wanted. "I'll meet you in the box," Remus said, closing James' door behind him, not listening for a response.

He was halfway to the kitchens to find something for breakfast when he ran into Tonks. She was alone again, walking down the corridor as though her shoes were too small and someone was walking behind her tugging at her dress. Remus smiled politely at her and said good morning.

"Good morning to you as well," She smiled much more brightly than he had.

"Where are you headed?" He asked, thinking that she might be lost and he always liked being helpful.

"The kitchens." She said. "My breakfast was cold by the time my mother finished with my hair, and then my father had eaten most of it by the time this dress was all laced up." She shook her head. "So if I don't want to faint later this morning, I need to get myself some food. The cook won't be made, with they?"

"Not at you." Remus assured her. "Though be sure to tell her who you are when we get down there."

"We?" Tonks asked, raising a brow in amusement.

"Oh, sorry- that's where I was headed as well." He said, his cheeks flushing slightly, and for the life of him he didn't understand why. He'd made a bigger blunder in front of far more noble people. "I've yet to eat breakfast as well."

"Well then," She walked over and linked their arms together. "You can walk me down and make sure I don't break my ankles in these bloody heels my mum made me wear." He chuckled when she swore, but nodded all the same.

"I'd love to join you." He said honestly. Her smile widened if that was possible and he started walking in the direction of the kitchen. It was nice to see that not all noble people looked down upon the help, not that he should be surprised, she had been in a pub a few days ago, but Remus had been with Sirius then and he was Tonks's cousin.

"Good because I have no friends here." She said, clicking her tongue. "And I'd bother Sirius as he's my family and not allowed to tell me to bugger off, but he seems busy. Is he going to compete in the tourney?"

"Sword fighting." Remus nodded. "James said he could only pick one-"

"Because he never loses?"

"Because he never loses." Remus nodded again. "James didn't want to upset his guests. Though I've never seen Sirius try and tackle a greased pig so he might actually lose that competition." Tonks chuckled.

"That's not actually a contest, is it?"

"Not officially." Remus allowed, "It's back at the pub we were at, and they do it at least once a year. Sirius hasn't been around for one of the games yet."

"I bet I could catch a pig." She said confidently. "You don't have to wear shoes while you're doing this, do you?" Remus laughed and shook his head.

"No, you don't have to wear shoes, but the whole pin is muddy and the pig is greased so whenever someone does catch it, it just slips out of their arms again. It's great fun to watch, especially if you've had a few." She laughed and he could see her imagining the entire thing in her head.

"So I have a question for you," She said suddenly, shaking her head and turning to look up at him.

"And what is your question?" Remus asked with a grin.

"I was attending dinner last night with the Kings and their families and one of the princesses was seated by James- I know that you said that he fancies a girl named Lily-"

"Did anything happen with James and the princess?" Remus asked curiously.

"Not really. She looked like she was comforting him at one point, but then he left shortly after so I was just wondering if he is actually going to marry one of them."

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I heard the conversation between the kings that went on for nearly an hour after James left." She sighed. "They expect him to marry one of their daughters, which I think is unfair. You can't just pair people off and hope for the best, that's now how it should be. And my mum agrees with me there, dad too. They said that King Donald needs to watch what he says because he married a peasant girl and she's been a favorite among the people for decades now. Even now when she's rumored to be extremely ill." She shook her head. "I know why King Johnathan wants Charlotte to marry James though. There was a lot of talk years ago, and again this is just what I've heard my parents say, that James would marry Marlene. But then Marlene ran away and while Charles expressed his concern and whatnot, he never agreed that James would then marry Charlotte. He feels like he's been wronged by the Potters to some extent."

"I hope James is able to smooth things over." Remus sighed.

"So he's not going to marry one of them?" She asked.

Remus didn't have a definite answer, but he knew that James didn't _want_ to marry one of the princesses. He'd been in love with Lily for so long now that he wasn't even sure that James was capable of imagining a future with anyone else. "It's not my place to say."

"Sure," Tonks nodded, "And it's not my place to say that I think Princess Amelia and Prince Michael were making doe eyes at each other for the entirety of dinner, but they were." Remus chuckled and shook his head.

"Well that should soften the blow for King Donald." He said. "He'll still get to marry off his daughter to a future king."

Tonks clicked her tongue again. "It's terrible that people think about their children like that." She said.

"It is," Remus agreed. "You're parents are not trying to find you a husband?"

"No." She shook her head. "That's my job. If I ever want a husband. My dad told me that I'm more than welcomed to live out my old maid days with him and my mother if I so chose. I might just up and decide to become a knight one day. Do you think James would let me be a knight? Probably not, I'd be a liability. Well, probably anyway." She shrugged. "Or maybe I'll travel over to the west lands and look for treasures in the mountains." She laughed. "Probably neither, and I do _want_ to get married I suppose, but I just don't think people should put so much stock in it. Does that makes sense?"

"So you're open to love but not looking for it?" Remus asked. "Almost anyone will tell you that that's when you find it."

Tonks scrunched up her nose and looked at him for a moment. "What about you?" She asked. "Are you looking for love?"

"Not at the moment. Sort of busy with work and such." He said. "I don't have the time, right now."

"See, now I've always heard that _that's_ when you find love. Or I suppose, when it finds you." Remus grinned and nodded his head.

"I suppose I've heard that as well." He said. "But we're acknowledging this, so does that decrease the odds of us finding love soon?"

"Probably." She said. "But I've always chosen to be an optimist."

They reached the kitchen and Remus didn't have a chance to respond before she was releasing her grip on his arm and pushing the door open. "Good morning, everyone!" She chirped. "My father ate all my breakfast and I was hoping someone could whip something up for me and my friend Remus before we head out to the tourney today."

"And just-"

"This is Nymphadora Tonks," Remus interrupted the cook with a hard look. "She's a friend of the king."

"Yes, sorry," She shook her head. "Remus told me I should introduce myself first. Also, please don't call me Nymphadora. Tonks is my preferred alias."

The cook glared at Remus for a moment and then forced a smile at Tonks. "Anything in particular you want?"

"Baked apples with cinnamon and toast?" She asked, and Remus was sure that she knew both of her suggestions were very simple to make. The cook's expression softened.

"It'll be done in a few moments, you can sit over there by the window." She motioned to a small table in the corner of the kitchen that she had never let Remus sit at before. He pressed his lips together and walked across the room after Tonks.

"So why do you dislike your first name so much?" He asked, trying to refrain from helping her up on the stool when her foot slipped off the first time that she tried to get up. She got it on her second try and smiled at him when she sat down.

"Because it's dreadful. I've argued with my mum for ages now. Why would she give me such a god awful name. Nymphadora?" She made a face and shook her head. "It sounds like she made it up."

"Have you ever thought about shortening it?" He asked. "Going by your dad's name had to be confusing a lot of the time. Especially because most people consider it rude to not call a noble by their given name."

"I guess I haven't given that much thought to it, but what would I shorten it to? Nymph? That's just as bad." Remus nodded in agreement and chuckled.

"Okay, but what about Dora?" He asked. She opened her mouth to respond and then closed it.

"I can't find anything wrong with that." She said, a smile growing. "Dora Tonks. Dora." She played with the name, letting it roll off her tongue and Remus couldn't help but smile at her. "I think I like that." She said. "What about you? Do you have a nickname?" She asked curiously.

"I'm afraid not," Though Emrus did come to mind when she asked. That wasn't a nickname so much as a mythical name though. "Just Remus."

"Well, Just Remus," She grinned and Remus thought he should have seen that coming. "I'll have to come up with one for you know." He grinned and nodded.

"I'm very excited to see what you come up with.

"Good."

The cook came over with two plates and set them down gently in front of them. "Thank you," Remus said. Maybe he could get on her good side after this. It would be nice to be allowed to come down here to grab a snack every now and then.

"Yes, thank you." The cook smiled at her and sent another glare at Remus. Perhaps mending fences with her was not going to happen today.

"So, how long do you think your family will stay here in Hogwarts, _Dora_?" He asked. She grinned at him and shrugged.

"I know we're staying through the end of the tourney, but my mum has been talking with my father about moving to the city. It's safer here for people like us now that King Charles is- well, no longer in charge of executions." She said bluntly.

"People like you?" He asked, raising a brow. She pressed her lips together and nodded.

"My mum is a witch." She said airily, as though she was commenting on the weather or the state of her baked apple. Remus looked around and narrowed his brow at her. She smiled, though it was less joyful than it had been thus far. "James already knows," She said. "My mum, Bella, Narcissa, my maternal grandfather and I think his wife…" She narrowed her brow and scrunched up her face. "I'm not sure. But my dad's family are all mug- non-magic people like us." She said with a shrug, though she looked slightly less at ease. "Bloody shame if you ask me. It's would be awfully convenient to have magic."

"Dangerous though," Remus said. He didn't know why he kept forgetting that his girl was Bellatrix's niece.

"Yes," She said sadly, "Though good and bad have a way of balancing themselves out."

"You are a very optimistic person." He said, referring to her earlier assessment.

"It's hard to be anything else with parents like mine." She grinned. "Now, do you think you could give me a tour of the town later? After the tournament of course, I know you're busy, but I'd like to look around again and not get lost in a pub this time. The odds of running into you and Sirius again are not likely." She took a bite of her apple and looked up at him in a way that made his heart beat just a little bit faster. He narrowed his brow and looked at her curiously.

"You want _me_ to give you a tour?" He asked, not sure why should would ask him.

"Yes," She smiled. "And again, I know you're busy, but when you get a chance." She said, and then added, "If you want."

Remus nodded slowly. "Yes, I can give you a tour." He said. He couldn't really think of a reason why he didn't want to, or why he shouldn't. He actually like spending time with her, she was different from anyone else he'd ever met. She had absolutely no filter, which he thought was entertaining, she was always smiling, which was a nice change, and she seemed kind on top of everything else and wonderfully off balance at the same time.

"Perfect," She said. They sat quietly for a few moments while they ate their breakfast before Dora thought of a new question. She asked him about James and how they had become friends, about Sirius and how they had met, about where Remus was from and he just told her the answer to anything she asked, finding that she was just as good at listening as she was at talking.

oOoOo

James headed down to the arena by himself this morning, still thinking about Lily. His head was swimming and he felt intoxicated, unable to shake the feeling, to think clearly, to focus on anything really. He was hoping that she would be in the box when he got there, he just needed to see her, that was all. He was sure of it.

But when he did reach the box, Sirius was the only person there. He looked around, "Where are Remus and Lily?" He asked. Sirius shrugged.

"I'm sure they'll get here soon. Are you making your big announcement today?" He asked.

"My big- About the table?" He'd forgotten that he'd planned to do that. "Yes, yes I will. But not now. I'll do that later in the day. After noon." After he saw Lily, after he could think properly again.

"Everything alright, mate?" Sirius asked, looking slightly concerned.

"Everything is fine." He waved him off and went to the edge of the balcony to start the games. He tried to smile as he addressed the people, he almost forgot to have them re-welcome the royal families who were visiting, but found his head last minute.

When he finished and the games were started for the day, he turned around to find Remus had found his way to the box. "Lily?" He asked. Remus looked around and shrugged.

"I assumed she come on her own this morning." He said.

"What does that mean?" James asked. "You didn't force her to come yesterday-"

"No," Remus shook his head. "She just- well, she doesn't feel like she belongs up here, which I'm sure you already know. I can go and fetch her if you'd like." He said, moving to stand up.

"No." He shook his head. "I'll go." He moved towards the door and Sirius stood up.

"Do you really think you should?" He asked. "You can't just leave, you're the king, these are your games, you're supposed to be looking for people to fill your table. You can see Lily later, I'm sure she'll come round. She'll show up eventually one way or another, she always does."

"You don't understand," James sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I need to see her." His voice got quiet. "I know this has been some kind of play- you both watching me act ten times the fool around her and me telling her that I love her every time we're alone together for more than a few minutes, but I- I need to see her." He said, knowing that he sounded desperate, but he was, so he didn't care. Ever since last night at dinner, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling- and he couldn't even pin it down to one feeling exactly. He wanted to tell her though, he figured that she could understand for some reason, and if she couldn't she'd still try and help him understand.

"We don't think it's a joke, James." Remus said.

"Though it is fun to watch." Sirius shrugged and Remus hit him on the arm. "Just wait till the first break, yes?" James knew that they were right, he knew that it would be inappropriate to leave in the middle of the games that he had scheduled. He nodded and walked back over to the balcony, making sure to take a seat where people would be sure to see him, he didn't want any more questions from the royals about where he was during the games.

"Remus?" They all turned to see Dory standing in the entranceway.

"Did you miss me, sweet heart?" Sirius asked coyly, winking at her.

"Did I say your name?" She asked, not looking like she was in the mood for his games. "Remus, may I talk to you outside for a moment?" Remus looked at the other two and then shrugged.

"I suppose, is everything alright?"

"Outside," She repeated and then disappeared. Remus followed after her and James turned to Sirius.

"Do you fancy her, or do you just fancy giving her a hard time?"

Sirius shrugged. "I'm not giving her a hard time."

"That didn't answer my question." James pressed, sticking him with a look.

"Are you even paying attention to the competitors?"

"Not well," He admitted. "How long have you fancied her?" Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I don't fancy her." He said. "Mary on the other hand…"

"You're always nice to Mary," James said, shaking his head.

"So that means that I don't fancy her?"

"You're nice to Lily too. She told me that you helped her dad out the other day simply because she asked. "

"I definitely don't fancy Lily." He said, raising his brow.

"I know that." James said. "And you don't fancy Mary either."

"Well, alright." He nodded. "There was this blonde at the pub with Mary and Dory once… I was sloshed off my arse so I don't remember her name, but she," He looked out to the field. "She had a pretty laugh. And her eyes…" He trailed off and James shook his head.

"So you just like giving Dory a hard time then?" He said, circling back around.

"I told you already, I don't give her a hard time." He insisted and James just shook his head and turned back to the games. The jousting tournament was still underway and it hadn't gotten to the good bit yet as they were still qualifying people for the finals, which happened after noon, after James told the public about his round table.

"How do you think they're going to react?"

"Who?"

"The people. When I tell them about the table." Sirius took a deep breath through his nose and shrugged.

"I don't think the nobles are going to like it much as most of them will be out of a job."

"I'm not going to phrase it like that until I talk to them privately." He said. "I'm just going to tell them that I want a group of twelve men that are going to do everything in their power to put the kingdom's best interests at heart, to make sure that justice prevails and that fairness is felt by all."

"Well who could dislike that?" Sirius smirked.

"So they'll think it's all just pretty words and empty promises?"

Sirius shifted in his chair now. "I don't know for sure, James. The people seem to like you, and especially since you've been king for four months now and the only person you've executed was that man who tried to sell that woman's baby and then stole three goats." He shook his head. "They're not afraid of you, they believe that you're trying your best, they cheer your name in pubs- I don't see you getting any backlash from this, but I'm not going to tell you that it's going to be well received just yet. I think you're going to have to prove your good intentions with action."

"I intend to." He said forcefully.

"You don't have to tell me, James." He said with a grin. "I know, and they'll all work it out eventually." They both turned back to the field just in time to see some man get knocked off his horse and fly back almost twenty feet. They both made, 'Ooo," sounds and then Sirius laughed as James shook his head.

"Well he's not going to be on the round table." Sirius said, still laughing.

"Nope. Probably not." James agreed.

oOoOo

Lily was pacing the length of her house out on the empty street, wanting to head to the tourney, but also wanting to stick her head in the sand. She knew that she would be expected to show up today, and not just by James, but Remus and Sirius too. But none of them were here to walk her there, and she took that as an excuse not to go. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him- them. It was only that she'd been so confused sitting up in the box with h- them all day. She knew that they were all friends, that she was important _to all of them_ , but that didn't make her belong up there in the box any more than any other woman off this street.

She looked around and ran a hand through her hair. At least people had stopped throwing things through her window, she expected it had something to do with her father though, or maybe Sirius. Or both of them.

"Lily?" She looked around and saw the man from the stables the other day. Severus, she recalled.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, and none too kindly. "Did your supposed business bring you here?"

He grinned at her and it made her shiver. There was something about him that just unnerved her. "Always so skeptical."

"Don't talk to me like you know me." She said, crossing her arms over her hips.

"Or what? Am I finally going to meet those friends of yours?" He asked, his grin turning into a sneer. "Because, every time I've run into you, you've been very much alone. Is this where you live?" Lily looked back at her house and then up at Severus.

"No," She said. "I'm waiting for someone here."

"One of your friends?"

"Not really," She said, thinking of her sister. She hadn't actually seen Petunia in months it felt like. She slept in the house of course, but she was always gone when Lily came back in the evening and didn't come home until late. "Do you need something, or is harassing people just a game to you?"

He walked over to her until he was too close for comfort and Lily had to force herself not to take a step back. "You're very intriguing." He said.

"I hope you don't think you're the first man to tell me that." She snapped. "I'm not flattered by your interest if that's what this is." She wanted to turn around and storm into the house, but she didn't want him to know that she lived here, she didn't want him to know she lived anywhere around here.

"You shouldn't flatter yourself," He said, looking up the road. "I only stopped here because I thought you could be of some use to me."

"I have no desire to be of any use to you." She said harshly.

"What time does the tourney end today? Does it end with sun down, or is there an event taking place afterward…"

"I don't know." She said. "I'm a nurse, why would I know anything about the tourney, other than it's causing more injuries than we can keep up with." It was the truth for her credit, she didn't know much about the tourney, and especially not it's schedule.

"That's a shame." He muttered, looking down.

"What are you so interested in anyway?" She asked, "And where's the horse you rented?"

"I returned it." He said simply. "I found it easier to walk through the crowded streets." It made sense of course, but still Lily found it suspicious, seeing as how she had never thought he actually wanted the horse in the first place. Also, if he had returned the horse, that meant that there was a chance that he harassed Peter again. She made a mental note to check on him as soon as she could.

She didn't say anything and looked up the street, hoping to see someone else that she knew, but the streets on this side of town were fairly empty, as all the festivities were happening up near the castle.

"Do I make you nervous?" He asked and the way he said it made her close her eyes and take a step back.

"I think you should leave." She said calmly.

"Leave the street?" He said, raising his brows. "I don't think you can ask me to do that."

"I don't care, I want you to leave."

"Lily?" She sighed and turned to see her sister walking up the street. She'd never been so happy to see her sister before.

"Petunia!" She chirped out excitedly. "I've been waiting for you."

Luckily, her sister seemed to read the situation and smiled brightly at her, which she hadn't done in years, and it made Lily feel even more unsettled because if Petunia thought that it looked bad after just walking up to them, then maybe she should be a little more frightened. "Sorry I'm running late, I was just running an errand and it took a bit longer. All the shops are closed for the tourney."

"Of course," Lily said. "Shall we?" She said, avoiding Severus' gaze as she walked towards her sister and looped her arm through hers and started walking away.

They'd made it halfway down the street before Lily bucked up the courage to turn her head around and see if he was following them or snooping through her house, but she saw his retreating figure and sighed a breath of relief. Letting her head fall on Petunia's shoulder for a moment and then stepping away from her all together.

"Who the bloody hell is that?" Petunia asked, putting a hand on Lily's arm. Lily looked down at her hand and shook her head.

"I don't know. I met him in the hospital and now I keep running into him and he just- he gives me the creeps."

"Of course he does," Petunia muttered, looking back over her shoulder now. "He's dirty and in clothes that are too big for him."

"Petunia," Lily sighed. "That's not it." She shrugged and the girls turned to the left and then turned again, stepping over a small fence and working their way through a path that went between the row of houses that would land them right behind their house. "I don't believe anything that comes out of his mouth and he seems too- I don't know-"

"Interested in you?" Lily nodded.

"But not in that way," She shook her head. "Or maybe, I don't know. He's called me a whore a few times now and I want to deck him in the face but I'm afraid of what he'd do if I did." Petunia moved to wrap her arm around Lily's shoulders now and Lily wasn't sure how to respond to this. The odds that she had some ulterior motive for this act of affection were small, unlike when she made Lily tea when she found out that James fancied her. But Petunia very rarely showed Lily any sort of affection so the action made her slightly suspicious.

"Men are pigs," She said quietly. "You shouldn't let it get to you."

"I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up when you had," She said quietly, and for some strange reason she felt like crying. "I was alone and dad wasn't home and- and-" She sniffed and pressed her lips together.

"You're alright, Lily." She said softly.

When they made it back to the house Petunia sat her down on the bed and moved to make some tea. She handed her a cup and then took a seat at the table. "Do you know who he is?"

"His names is Severus." She said. "Or at least that's what he told me."

"Maybe you can tell that knight friend of yours that's been helping dad out." She suggested. Lily nodded and took a sip of her tea.

"I've been meaning to tell him, it's just," She sighed and covered her forehead with her hand. "They're all so busy with the tourney going on, and I don't want them to think that I can't walk through town by myself anymore." She shook her head. "That's the very last thing I want them to think." Petunia almost smiled at her.

"But he makes you feel unsafe?" She asked.

"I feel like he's constantly threatening me, but in a subtle way and what if I'm just reading too much into it, what if he's perfectly harmless and I'm making him out to be-"

"Don't." Petunia snapped, setting her teacup down on the table forcefully. "Don't do that. Don't doubt yourself. If you feel like he's threatening you, if he makes you feel unsafe than that's what's important here. This is his fault, not yours and you shouldn't feel like you can't ask for help because you don't want to inconvenience someone. What if he actually is dangerous? What if he hurts someone?" Lily was shocked into silence by that speech of hers.

"He didn't hurt me," She said, wanting to make sure that Petunia knew that.

"But you thought he might," She said. "That's why you were so panicked when I found you. You just told me you felt he threatened you."

"I don't know," She shook her head. "I need to make sense of it all."

"But you also need to tell someone." She said. "There are too many strange men walking around this city right now and we don't need any more problems than we've already got." She was right of course, there were a lot of strange men walking about, people who'd come from all around to see and compete in the tourney. And they were having enough brawls and pub fights without strange lying, suspicious men wandering about making subtle threats.

"I'll tell someone about him." She said. "I promise."

"Good." She said. "Are you alright now, or do you want me to walk you somewhere?"

Lily gave her a smile. "What did I just say about not wanting people to think I can't walk through town by myself?"

"Right," She shook her head and stood up. "Well I have to be off then," She said. "I'm meeting up with my fiancé and his sister to watch the beginning of the archery contest."

"Is Vernon competing in any of the games?" Lily asked politely. Petunia smiled fondly and shook her head.

"No, I'm afraid Vernon is more of the observing type." Lily smiled and her and nodded.

"You really like him don't you?" She asked.

"I do." Petunia nodded. "I didn't expect to at first but…" She trailed off and shrugged.

"I'm happy for you." Lily said.

"Thank you." And then she walked out of the house.


	24. Under the Stars

**AN: I'm terrible. I was sick and then school started but here we are, chapter 24 and it's full of fluff and I hope you like it.**

 **I would like to thank all of you who have been reviewing and telling me that you've read my story three times and that it's your favorite. I love them and they make me feel really good. Thank you all for the support, I'll try and do better. 3**

* * *

 _"Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward."_  
 _― E.E. Cummings_

 _or_

 _"When thinking about what to do next with your life, don't ask yourself what you would succeed at, but what you would most enjoy failing at."_  
 _― Clifford Cohen_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: Under the Stars**

Remus followed Dory out of the stadium and towards the edge of the city. "Where are we going?" He asked for what was probably the fourth or fifth time.

"Would you just be quiet and follow me?" She asked, continuing to walk at a brisk pace towards the woods.

"Are we going into the woods?"

"Obviously."

"Okay, but why?" He asked.

"I'll tell you when we get there." She said, looking over her shoulder and reaching out for his arm. Now that she was dragging him along behind her they were moving slightly faster and Remus decided to give up asking questions.

The closer they got to the forest, the more anxious he got. Eventually he could see an orange glow coming from just within the edge. "Are there people in there?" He asked cautiously and when she refused to answer him he sighed and shook his head. "You've got to give me something here, Dory. You know how nervous I get about things."

"I do and it's ridiculous because you're the most powerful wizard in the world." Remus wanted to contradict her, but he knew she wouldn't listen to him anyway. He huffed and she gave in. "I'm introducing you to some people. With all the traffic from the tourney, people like us were safe to travel more. We can blend in."

"People like us?" He asked quietly, looking back towards the woods.

"Yes, witches and wizards. People with magic."

"Is your cousin here?"

"What? Oh, Gwen, that's Mary's cousin but yes, she's here." She nodded. "And a bunch of other people as well."

"And you haven't told them that you think I'm Emrus, have you?" He asked.

"No," She said shaking her head, and he relaxed. "Dumbledore told them that you were Emrus." She grinned at him and he felt as though he'd been dowsed in cold water. He was going to be a major disappointment to all of these people, as he knew only a handful of spells and his magic without spells was becoming less powerful with the more he learned.

"But I don't even believe that I'm Emrus!"

"Well," She sighed, "Don't tell them that." She said firmly.

They reached the edge of the forest and Remus took a deep breath, holding it for a bit too long and then letting it out too fast. "Dory-" She just tugged his arm harder and he had to move his foot quickly to keep from tripping over a fallen log.

"I've got him!" She called out.

"Is Dumbledore here?"

"I am," Dumbledore said, smiling at him. He was leaning against a tree, holding a large wooden staff that Remus had never seen before and wearing a long, bright blue robe. "There are some people that I want to introduce you to." He said.

"Alright, but why didn't you tell me that this morning?" He asked. "Or last night, why have Dory come in and drag me all the way out here?"

"I trust Sirius," He said. "But this is for you to do on your own." That sounded ominous.

They walked a bit further into the woods until Remus could hear the crackling of the fire and the sun started to disappear behind the thick canopy overhead. He saw a large group of people, all sitting around the fire quietly, looking to him. Some of the faces looked familiar, like Gwen, Mary and a few other's from the Hallows. He was surprised by some of the people present, like Minerva McGonagall, though most of the people he did now know.

"Remus, this is the Order of the Phoenix."

He said this as though Remus should know what it meant, but he just looked blankly at the group of people before him. "It's nice to meet all of you."

"Right," Dory stepped up. "This is Kingsley Shacklebolt," A large man stood up and nodded at Remus. "And over here is Alice Foretesque, Alastor Moody, Arabella Fig, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance," She continued to go around the circle and introduce the rest of the people, but there was no way that Remus was going to remember all of their names.

"We thought it was about time we all got together and introduced ourselves to you," Lady McGonagall said, standing up and reaching a hand out to reintroduce herself to Remus.

"All of you have magic?" Remus asked, surprised to see so many people like him all in one place. She nodded as he took her hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

"We're a weapon for you to use," Kingsley said, also standing up and reaching out his hand. Remus took it and narrowed his brow.

"A weapon for me to use?"

"Yes-"

"We're more than a weapon," Emmeline, the older woman from the pub in the Hallows said giving Kingsley a look. "We help people who need help, we fight against the men who threaten to give a bad name to people like us, against people who want to hurt innocent-"

"We're not initiating him," Mary sighed. "We're supposed to be giving him a summary.

"I was giving him a summary, Ms. MacDonald." Emmeline said, shaking her head.

"Look," Dory stood up next to Mary and crossed his arms. "We all know that there's an evil force at work, the man that had the king killed is spreading his hate throughout the kingdom, probably beyond our borders by now and we are fighting against him. We're collecting information, collecting more people like us, people who don't think killing or injuring the muggles is the right way to go about protecting ourselves from ignorance."

"A lot of us have come here to meet you," A man near the back of the crowd said. "We've heard a great number of things about you."

"Is it true that you don't need a wand or spells to do magic?"

"Have you really befriended the king?"

"Do your eyes really glow when you use your magic?"

Dozens of questions flew at him until Dumbledore cleared his throat and rested a hand on Remus's shoulder. "Young Emrus is still getting use to his destiny." He said quietly. "Let us not make his path any more frightening than it already is."

"It's not the questions that I have a problem with," Remus muttered under his breath. He felt Dumbledore squeeze his shoulder slightly and he took a deep breath. "I appreciate all of you coming out here, whether you came to meet me or show your support, I'm glad that you're here." He looked to Dumbledore, who nodded slightly and then stepped forward.

"We have trying times ahead of us, and Emrus is only one piece of the puzzle. He is an invaluable resource of course, but he is not the only one who will be fighting this war. It is up to all of us to choose the right path, even when it proves to be difficult. We must stand up against adversity and evil and fight for the good of all, for those who cannot fight for themselves, for those who have fallen before peace has come, for those who will come after us and reap the benefits of a peaceful kingdom." There was cheering around the fire and Remus took some time to look at all of the people here. Some of them were badly scared and some were young while others looked to be only a few years younger than Dumbledore. He wasn't the only one who had seen a time when magic had not been outlawed, but no one here had been around when magic wasn't tabooed.

"Let us share with Emrus what we know." Dumbledore said, opening for floor to Kingsley. He stood in front of the crowd, and even though he was meant to inform Remus, he was addressing everyone and Remus was glad for this.

"We have scouts up in the north hills." He said quietly. "They've been there for almost two months now and they believe that they've located Bellatrix and the man who took her. The castle that they are staying in is heavily guarded, and there's been signs of dragons at two of the entrances while a giant guards the third. They've yet to make any attempt to enter that castle, but I think getting someone on the inside would be a wise move."

"Of course you do," Moody, who was the most scared of the group, stood up. He had a wooden peg where a leg should be and his left eye had gone white and glazed over. "You young people are always in a hurry to be reckless and stupid." He spit on the ground and glared at everyone as though they had personally offended him.

"It's not stupid to want to know what's going on in that castle." Kingsley said, looking put out. "And we talked about calling everyone stupid, Mad-Eyed. It's not productive."

"I'm not saying that it wouldn't be useful, I'm just saying it would get someone killed." Moody snarled. "But if you want to volunteer for that-"

"I'll do it." Dory said, raising her hand.

"Put your hand down you stu- Dory." Moody looked at Kingsley and shook his head. "I'm not sending a child into the belly of the beast. If anyone should go-" He cut himself off and glanced at Remus, who widened his eyes.

"I think we've already decided that it's best to keep Remus here in Camelot." Dumbledore said calmly.

"You bring us the most powerful weapon we can hope to have only to dangle him under our nose."

"He will be the most powerful, but he's not been properly trained."

"Well what good is he then?" Moody shouted. "We've already got a bunch of useless kids itching to join the Order, you've already let some of them in," Another glare at Dory and Mary. "If he's got the kind of power that you say he does, we should be using it."

"We need a covert team to enter the castle and work out what's going on. We don't need power to do that, just stealth." Kingsley said. "What about that Skeeter woman?" He looked at Dumbledore. "You said she had the ability to transform herself into a beetle, no one would ever notice a beetle flying about."

"It would work perfectly if Rita weren't such a terrible human being." Moody snapped. "She'd just as soon flip and spy on us if it tickled her fancy. It's best to keep her out of this."

"I agree with Alastor." Dumbledore nodded. "Though maybe we should look at Camelot before trying to put together a mission for the North Hills. If we find someone who works for this man in the city, we can get information from them and use it to our advantage."

"You think he has people in the city?" Someone asked in the back.

"Of course he does," Moody sneered. "He'd be stupid not to."

"Mad-Eye," Kingsley sighed.

"Bunch o' pansies is what you are," He huffed under his breath. "I've been fighting these men and people like them for years. You might be forgetting, but it was me that put Tom Riddle in prison in the first place."

"Don't say his name." Someone shuttered.

"Oh, I'm sorry, should I be using his alias?"

"Can't you just be considerate?" Dory asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You-know-who has caused us immense pain and suffering, you should know that more than anyone." She said, glaring back at him.

"Being afraid to say his name isn't going to help with that." He said, though decidedly less harsh.

oOoOo

After the feast, which lasted nearly five hours, James decided that he was going to walk by the Evans's home. He'd been waiting for Lily to show up all day, and he hadn't seen her once. He knew that the odds of actually seeing her were slim, but he had to try or else he was afraid that he was in for another restless night. He'd given Remus his robes to bring back up to the castle, but he was still wearing silks and satins and expensive clothes that he didn't normally wear out to town. The streets weren't yet quiet, but the bulk of the people seemed to be contained to the outskirts of the arena and the two pubs further towards the outskirts of the city. He was sure the nobles were holed up in one of their houses, getting just as drunk as the peasants on more expensive alcohol.

Lily's street was almost always quiet, and tonight was no exception. There was no light coming from her house, and James, who had been expecting this, couldn't help but to be disappointed. At least until he noticed a figure sitting on the roof of Lily's house. It was dark, and he wasn't sure who it was, so when he first noticed them, he was afraid it was someone who had the intention of breaking into Lily's home, but when he got closer, he could make out Lily's red hair and grinned.

James walked around to the back of the house and looked up at her. "What are you doing up there?" He asked, causing Lily to jump. "Sorry!" He said quickly, putting his hands up and taking a few steps back.

"No, I just didn't hear you walk up," She said, her hand over her heart.

"I should have announced myself." He said, "All kinds of strange people walking around the city lately." Lily nodded and then sighed, putting her hand back on the roof. "So?"

"So?" She raised her brows.

"What are you doing up there?"

"Oh, I don't know. I just like to come up here sometimes. Get to look out of the city and just watch the stars. Think about things." He grinned, watching her turn her gaze up to the sky. She looked back down at him, a more hesitant look on her face before she took a deep breath and asked, "Do you wanna come up?"

James grinned at her and took a step towards the ladder before pausing and looking back up at her. "You asking to be polite?"

"No." She said with a shrug.

"Good." He said, grabbing the ladder and climbing up. He crawled onto the roof and settled down next to her, making sure they were close enough so their arms were touching. He looked around and chuckled. "You can see more from up here than I thought." He said. The river was shining in the distance, the stadium they built was swelling up from base of the castle and the bonfires people were dancing and cooking around were littered throughout the edge of the city.

"Yeah," She nodded. "My mum used to bring me up here sometimes." She said quietly. "Tell me made up stories about people who lived in the stars. About princesses and princes who lived in castles- though it was never your castle- about dragons and griffons and mermaids and goblins. They each had their own star, but when they wanted to see one another they would come down here."

"Your mum had quite the imagination, didn't she?" He asked.

"Yes," Lily laughed.

"Do you miss her?"

Lily opened her mouth and then closed it, looking as though she was thinking hard about his question. "I try not to." She said at length. James didn't understand this answer. "Do you miss your mum?"

"I do, but at the same times it's hard to miss someone you didn't know."

"Really?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and looking back to the sky. "See I think it'd be easier that way. Because then they're everything you want them to be. You never had to realize that they were flawed and human just like everyone else." James thought this over for a moment and nodded.

"I suppose."

"My mum's not dead." She said, looking down at her hands now. James raised his brow at this confession. "We told everyone she was, but that was- well that was when your dad was king." She took a deep breath and looked at him. "She's a witch."

James blanched. "She's a- a witch?"

"Yes." She nodded. "And my neighbor- well, my neighbor then- they suspected as much and they cornered me one day when I was alone and got me to say some things that I shouldn't have. They were going to tell and she would have been executed so she tucked me into bed that night and when I woke up she was gone."

James ground his teeth and silently added Lily's name to the list of people whose lives his father had ruined. "Lily I'm so-"

"Don't apologize." She interrupted. "That's not why I'm telling you this- I don't really know why I'm telling you this to be honest, but I don't want you to feel bad."

"But that's why you didn't like my father?"

"No." She said. "He didn't kill her, he didn't make her leave. She's the one who chose to leave us all behind." She shrugged and James wondered if she would mind if he put his arm around her. She looked upset and he wanted to do something about it. He settled for placing his hand over hers. "I blamed myself for a long time. I told myself that it was my fault because I hadn't been able to keep my mouth shut. But it wasn't my fault, I was six or something."

"No, it wasn't." He said.

"No, it wasn't." She sighed, letting her head drop down so that it was resting on James's shoulder and his heart jumped to his throat, his hand tightening on hers. "She chose to leave, so I try not to miss her." He cursed internally and then moved his hand and wrapped his arm around her. She didn't move much, only to readjust her head on his shoulder and he cursed at himself again for being nervous about it in the first place.

"Where were you today?" He asked quietly, trying not to sound as pathetic as he felt. "I looked for you." And there it was, pathetic.

"I…" She sighed and moved a bit closer to him. He was surprised but tried to act nonchalant when he tightened his arm around her. "I was on my way this morning but-" She shook her head.

"Was it the hospital?" He asked.

"I was going to say that," She nodded. "But it would have been a lie."

He narrowed his brow and looked down at her, quite liking the lack of distance between them when she looked up.

"You make me a bit nervous," She confessed before looking back out at the city. When she wasn't looking at him anymore he grinned and looked down.

"Good." He said.

"Good?" She asked, chuckling. "Really?"

"I've been nervous around you since I met you, it's about time I returned the favor." She laughed for real this time. "So you didn't show up today because no one came and got you? No one forced you to join us?"

"Remus didn't force me yesterday, and if he'd shown up today I would have sent him off."

"Why though?"

"You ignored everyone yesterday." She said. "It was your tourney and you hid in the back of the tent with me instead of standing up front and letting your people see you. People who had traveled for day- weeks even to see you."

"So you stayed away today so I would behave myself?"

"No. I was behaving myself." She said, to which James laughed. She shushed him and reminded him that her father and sister were asleep inside the house. He apologized quietly, shaking his head.

"Sorry, but you're the one being ridiculous." He shook his head. "You've done nothing _but_ behave yourself."

"That's not true." She sighed. "I mean, look at me now." His grip tightened again, afraid she would pull away. "I'm not going anywhere," She assured him, realizing what his actions meant. He wasn't sure what was going on just now, but he didn't stop to think about pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"Good." He said quietly.

"Tell me about the princesses." She said just as quiet and James closed his eyes for a moment. He knew what she was doing.

"Amelia is in love with one of Charlotte's brothers." He said. "Remus told me earlier."

"You sound awfully excited about this."

"I am. That's one less disappointed king I have to deal with." He said, not taking his lips far from her hair.

"What's going to happen if you don't marry one of them?" She asked.

"Nothing." He said, "King Johnathan will be slightly miffed for a few days and then he'll find someone else for her to marry. She's his second daughter, she didn't grow up thinking she would marry a king anyway. Maybe him and Donald will just trade off their daughters and they'll end up queens of each other's kingdoms. Or maybe she'll get to marry for love."

"Very few people get to marry for love." She said. "It's not a luxury only denied to royals."

"I'm going to marry for love." He assured her.

"I don't doubt it." She said. "You're forging your own path and I admire that."

"It's Remus's fault." He shrugged which made her laugh, though she remembered to be quiet. "And yours if I'm being honest."

"I know." She nodded. "You keep trying to impress me." She laughed again and he smiled.

"It's finally working." He said, kissing her head again.

"Yeah," She said quietly.

"Are people still being mean to you?" He asked.

"My window hasn't been broken in a while." She said.

"Good." He said. "That's a step in the right direction."

Lily lifted her head from James' shoulder and sighed. "Is it though?"

"Is that why you didn't come? To save face?"

"That doesn't make sense." She said. "I just- I have to decide if it's all-" She cut herself off and shook her head. "I know that you like me, I do-"

"I love you."

"Right, yes-" She sighed and shook her head. "But is all of the trouble worth it? The rocks in my window, the disappointed kings, the disdain and-"

"Of course it is."

Lily sighed and looked up at him. "I'm not trying to make that decision for _you_." She said quietly. James took a deep breath and nodded, understanding what she meant. She had to decide if it was worth it for her. He shook his head and smiled.

"It's a shame I can't entice you with gold and jewels." He sighed.

Lily smiled. "You wouldn't like me so much if you could," She told him. "Not that the notion of the riches are _unappealing_. But I'd be giving up quite a bit too." She said quietly, looking down at her hands.

It was strange that they could sit here and talk like this, like they might have a future together. Lily was talking as though she was considering a future with James, and he believed that she was. He leaned his head down until his forehead rested against her hair. "That's true." He allowed. "You wouldn't have nearly as much privacy as you have now if you were to-"

"Right." Lily nodded when he abruptly stopped talking. 'If you were to become queen,' that's what he'd been about to say, but what if she laughed at him, what if after all of this he was still misreading the situation and she was referring to something else? "You realize that I'd have no idea what to do, right? Or how to do anything." James let out a shaky breath of relief and nodded.

"I have no idea what I'm doing and I grew up preparing for the job." He said. "And I listen to you more than my advisors."

"You don't have any advisors that you can trust?" She asked. "None at all?"

"There are a few good men who I don't want going anywhere, but most of them are greedy and only interested in looking out for themselves." He said. "But we don't need to talk about them." He said, leaning back against the roof and in doing so pulling her down with him. "Tell me a story about the stars." He said, pulling her closer.

She readjusted herself, resting her hand on his chest. He hoped that she couldn't feel how hard his chest was beating, but he knew that in all likelihood she could. If she did notice, she didn't say anything, instead she started telling him a story.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, laying on the roof of her father's house, wrapped up in one another, but when he finally stumbled into his room, the moon was low in the sky and he knew the sun would soon be rising. He collapsed onto his bed, more at peace than he had been in a long time.

oOoOo

The second time that Severus Snape visited Peter Pettigrew, Lily was not around to interrupt them.

"I can't help you," Peter said as soon as Severus walked into the stables. "I already told you that."

"No," Severus said, his tone bored as he tapped his fingers along the side of the stable as he walked towards Peter. "I think we were interrupted before you could accept my generous offer."

"I wasn't going to accept your money." He said, avoiding eye contact. "I was actually just on my way out, so if you'll excuse me…" Severus let him walk past and then turned around and held up his hand. He muttered a few words and the small man froze where he stood.

"I think we have things to talk about." He said. He walked around so he was standing in front of Peter, and though he was frozen now, Severus could see the fear in his eyes. "You see, you've given me a lot of time to really look around and meet so many wonderful and _interesting_ people in this city." He said carefully. "Like, Harriet for example." He let the girls name hang in the air.

He unfroze Peter, but the man remained still, only his eyes moving. "You will not threaten my sister." He said quietly.

"Or really?" He asked, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "And how are you going to stop me? Do you have magic?" He asked. "Do you have the power to intervein?"

"She's- she's sick, you can't do anything to her."

"I don't want to hurt her, Peter." He said slowly. "But you weren't going to accept my offer of gold, so I thought you might need to be further incentivized."

It didn't take as long as he was expecting for Peter to break. "What do you need?" He asked, looking at the ground. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"All I need is for you to get me some information that I can't get on my own. I need to know everything I can about the king. About his friends. Especially Remus. And don't worry about my reasons."

"I don't know the king all that well." Peter said, his voice quiet.

"Well maybe you should fix that." Severus said, raising his brow. "He's made a habit in making friends out of peasants." He dropped the bag of gold at Peter's feet. "I'll come back in a few days to see what you've gathered. Say hullo to your sister for me." And with that, he turned on his heel and left.

oOoOo

She was too young for him. That's what Remus was thinking as he walked down to the tourney the next morning. He couldn't get Dora out of his head ever since he'd had breakfast with her yesterday and while he hadn't seen her since, he wanted to. But she was too young for him, and he had to keep reminding himself that.

But it wasn't only that, there was also a war going on that she had no idea about and it had nothing to do with her, so she should not be dragged into a dangerous situation that she could otherwise avoid. He'd had to meet with the Order in the woods, and he'd been talking with Dumbledore and he was supposedly some prophesized _Emrus,_ so he should be thinking about dragging her into that world with him.

However, all of that was irrelevant because she was too young for him.

Hardly fifteen years old.

And he didn't fancy her. He _didn't._

"'Lo, Remus." He jumped at the sound of his name and turned to see the hardly fifteen-year-old that he _didn't_ fancy looking up at him with her big dark eyes and standing far too close, as she was prone to do.

"Good morning, Dora." He replied, taking a step back and giving her a smile. "I didn't think you'd be out and about so early."

"S'not like I've got much else to do. You know that my parents and I have only just moved to the city, and you're one of the only people that I know. Not that I mind not knowing lots of people, you're quite a nice person to know, probably better than most I'd say. And I'm still waiting for you to show me around, you did promise to do that so don't think that I've forgotten. I'm purposely not exploring so that when you show me around I honestly won't know anything. If you put it off much longer, I'll probably get lost on the way to the bakery or something and then my mum will get worried. You don't want to worry my mum, do you Remus?" He shook his head and she took a breath. "You're the only one that calls me that."

"What?" Because having a conversation with Nyphadora Tonks was one of the most difficult things Remus had ever done. She spat out words like they were burning her tongue, and when she grew tired of one topic she'd switch and you were lucky if she took a breath in between to do it.

"'Dora', you're the only one who calls me 'Dora.'"

"Oh." Remus narrowed his brow. "Well, I know you don't like to be called by your full name so I just assumed- and we talked about it yesterday. What do people normally call you again?"

"Tonks."

"Well than I'll call you 'Tonks.'"

"No worries, love. I like it. You calling me 'Dora' I mean." And she was honest. If there was something on her mind, she wasn't going to be subtle about it, or drop any hints, she was just going to tell you. Her eyes were twinkling and Remus felt his ears get hot and he wasn't sure if it was because she had called him 'love' or because she was so forward about saying she liked him calling her something different than everyone else did.

He didn't fancy her.

He took a deep breath. "Then I'll call you 'Dora'."

"Good."

"Good." He looked up the road, but there was still no sign of Sirius or James. How long did it take for them to get their armor on anyway? They had told him that they didn't need his help, but they had other people there who could help them. And he didn't understand why James even needed his armor on, he wasn't participating in any of the trials. He couldn't do that now that he was king.

Dora put a hand on his arm. "Do I make you nervous?" Blunt. A trait he normally appreciated in people was not indeed making him _very_ nervous. He'd actually be less nervous in the stables right about now.

"Why would you ask that?"

She pressed her lips together in a smile and tucked her short black hair behind her ear. "Well, you won't look at me for more than a moment at a time and you're acting rather jumpy." She shrugged. "Also, you didn't answer my question."

"You don't make me uncomfortable." Remus sighed, making sure to look her in the eyes until she looked away. When she did, he noticed that her cheeks had tinted pink.

"Good. Because I'd really rather you be quite comfortable around me." She scrunched up her nose, still looking at the ground.

"Tonks," Remus said carefully. Her head shot up at the use of her surname, and she did not look happy about hearing it. He'd made the mistake of not addressing issues early on with Lily, and he'd paid for that. This time around he was going to have to be honest. "You're a very nice girl, and I would like to be friends with you but… You're too young for me."

"Codswallup." She laughed, which only made Remus's stomach flip. "I'm fifteen-"

"Hardly fifteen, but yes."

"And you're eighteen, yes?"

"Nineteen." He corrected.

"So you've got four years on me-"

"It's not the age difference that makes you too young-"

"Don't interrupt me." She put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. "I'm not a little girl, Remus. My mum was fifteen when she ran off and married my dad. She was fifteen when she had me, don't try and tell me that I'm too young for you. If you don't fancy me, that's fine, that's reason enough and I'll leave you alone." Remus had just opened his mouth, either to apologize or to tell her that he didn't want her to leave him alone, he wasn't sure which, when she cut him off. "But I don't think that's the case, I think you fancy me."

It was Remus's turn to narrow his brow, not because she was wrong, but because she had the gull to actually say that to him. "And what makes you so sure?"

Her lips were pressed together again, trying to hide a smile. "Because you've been letting me flirt with you since I met you."

"I don't think you wait for people to _let you_ do much."

"And you're flirting with me right now." She cocked a brow.

He didn't mean to smile at her.

"Remus?" Lily stepped up beside him and looked back and forth between the two of them. He took another step away from Dora and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sirius and James aren't ready yet." He said, hoping she wouldn't ask. "I've been waiting for nearly a half hour now, and they're still getting their armor on."

"Alright." She was looking at Dora. "I'm Lily." She said, having guessed that Remus wasn't going to introduce them.

"Tonks." Dora said with a smile, holding her hand out. Lily raised her brows.

"Sirius's cousin?"

"My mum's his cousin." She said nodding. "Are you Remus's cousin?" Remus coughed and looked up the road again. Still no sign of James or Sirius. He hated awkward situations and he tended to make them worse than they really were.

"No." Lily said.

"His sister than?"

"What? No, just a friend." Lily looked taken back. She tried to catch Remus's gaze, but he was too busy inspecting the toe of his boots. "Remus, we have to get up to the castle. Peter told me that Lance was looking for you."

"You know Lancelot?" Dora asked, impressed by him all over again. As though knowing the king had nothing on knowing Lancelot. " _The_ Lancelot? Ooo, you'll have to introduce me. He's a hero where I'm from and I've always wanted to meet him. My friends back home-"

"I'll make sure to introduce you." Remus said, hoping she wouldn't mind the interruption this time. "But I don't want to keep Lance waiting now, not right before the tourney begins."

"Of course not." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'll see you later, Remus."

He nodded awkwardly and then put a hand on Lily's upper back and steered her towards the castle.

"What the bloody hell is going on, Remus?" Lily asked, looking far too amused for Remus to _not_ flush red. "That girl has a crush on you. How old was she, twelve?"

"No." He said. "She's fifteen."

"Oh." She frowned.

"She's too young for me and I don't fancy her." He quickly explained.

"Right." Lily laughed, and something settled in Remus. "Well your red ears are telling a different story. And it's only four years, she's not too young."

"She's hardly fifteen."

"So? My mum got _married_ when she was fifteen."

"That's what she said." He muttered, clenching his jaw together and shaking his head.


	25. And the Truth Comes Out

**AN: Alright, I'm going to be honest. I had no idea that it had been four months (almost) since I've last posted. It was my last semester and I was uncommonly overwhelmed and anxious about everything so I wrote very little. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this story rather soon, and get it out to you in a more timely fashion. Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing and messaging me on Tumblr, even if I don't always reply to you, I love your kind words and they make me smile.**

 **This chapter was tricky to put together, so let me know what you think if you can spare a moment. It's all building up now and that's the part of the story I always get clumsy with. Juggling all the different subplots and weaving it all together, so if you think I'm forgetting about something, just let me know please so I can fix it before it's too late. Much appreciation**

* * *

" _Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself."_

― _Harvey Fierstein_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: And the Truth Comes Out**

Bella had taken to her new role rather quickly. She was still in pain, still grieving for Charles, for the loss of her brother James as well even if he wasn't dead. She knew that he would never forgive her for what she had done, and she had to come to terms with that.

But she simply couldn't find time to dwell on it. She had so many other things to do as of late. She was building an army, getting trained to use her magic by the Dark Lord, and generally just bossing people around. It was fantastic. The Dark Lord have even found her a dragon. He called in a Cornish Fireball, but she called it beautiful. It was sleek with black scales that glowed red when it breathed fire.

He had actually been giving her all kinds of gifts, and she appreciated the attention. There were little elves that did everything for her and punished themselves when they did something wrong, there was a breast plate forged by goblins in the mountains, and he'd even promised to find her a wand. There were other gifts as well, clothing and shoes and jewelry, but Bella didn't have much interest in those, not when the other gifts were so much more fantastic.

She walked down to the Great Hall of the castle they were hiding out in, barefoot and wearing a simple gown. She had her hair down and it hadn't been brushed in a few days, and she felt excellent. As she walked into the room, she had a flame dancing over her fingertips, fire being one of her more accomplished new skills.

"Bella, there you are." Rodophus called out, walking up to her and smiling. She was finding that he was much more appealing in this new environment; here when she wasn't being forced to marry him.

She was finding most things to be much more agreeable than before, and she had Voldemort to thank for that. Now that she didn't feel the need to hide anymore, now that she had no reason to hold back her magic or refrain from doing whatever she wanted, life was just so much simpler.

"Hello, Rod." She said with a playful smile. "What can I do for you today?" She asked, placing her hand on his arm as she brought her other hand, along with her dancing flame, closer to him as well. He eyed the fire wearily and gave her a look, but for some reason he trusted that she wouldn't burn him so he started talking anyway.

"The Dark Lord wanted me to let you know that your sister should be arriving shortly."

"Narcissa?" She asked, narrowing her brow. She hadn't talked to her in a while, but the last time she'd seen her in person, she'd told her that killing King Charles wasn't such a good idea. She felt a small pang of discomfort at the thought of the late king, still not used to thinking of him dead, nor liking the fact that it had been at her hand. Though she understood now that Voldemort was only trying to show her what she was capable of, show her what her magic was capable of. She knew that King Charles was an obstacle that needed to be cut down, but that didn't mean that she liked that she had to be the one to do it. "When will she be here?" She asked, her flame going out and she gripped his arm a bit tighter.

"She'll be here in the morning. I believe he was trying to surprise you." He said, looking perplexed at the notion. "You've definitely intrigued him."

"Of course I have," Bella snapped, pulling her arm away and running a hand through her hair. "You don't think Cissy will be upset with me, do you?"

"Why would she be upset?" He asked.

"Because I did what she told me not to-"

"You followed orders, Bella. And your sister knows that. She also knows that she has no right to tell you what you can and can-"

"She's my sister." Bella interrupted him. "She's the only true family that I have left."

"What about-"

"Don't mention her name to me." She said, her brow narrowing. She'd heard that her oldest sister was in Camelot, that she was actually staying in the castle with James and it made her sick to her stomach. She hadn't come to visit the castle once when Bella had lived there, so afraid of the king she was, but the second he was dead, she up and moved her family to the capital city. It felt like a knife to the back. Hadn't she cared that Bella had been trapped there? Forced to hide her magic and play daughter to the man that had killed their parents? She hadn't even had the decency to write her a proper letter.

"Of course," Rod sighed. "Well Narcissa is coming, and her husband will be coming with her. "

"I never cared for him." Bella made a face, which Rodolphus mirrored.

"Yes, he's an interesting character." He agreed. "Though not the interesting I'd want to be left alone with." Bella actually laughed at that, which seemed to surprise Rodolphus more than anything and he ended up smiling at her. "Stop that." She said, furrowing her brow. "You made one funny comment out of a million boring ones, I wouldn't get used to it." He sighed and took a step away from her.

"Fine. I'll see you when she arrives then." He said as he started to walk away.

Bella shook her head and spun on her heel, bringing her hand up so she could make a small flame again. Yes, things were going quite nicely for her here and now that her sister was coming, things were going to be even better.

One thing that she'd been quite oblivious too, and not on accident either, was the growing population in the area surrounding the castle. She'd hardly been outside of the castle at all due to all the gifts that Voldemort had been giving her.

So she didn't see the men living in tents, or the strange creatures that were inhumanly large living in the mountains. She hadn't noticed the dragons being chained up in the dungeons or the goblins forging swords and armor. She'd been too busy playing with her magic, too busy with her new toys, and testing out her magic, and believing that she was manipulating the situation with her and the Dark Lord. She thought that she had him in her pocket, when in reality, he was doing his best to keep her in the dark until the right moment. He knew that she was a difficult, strong willed woman and that if he told her what his plan was before she was ready to hear it, there was a chance that she would do something stupid, something that she was regret very much. And he didn't want to see her do that to herself.

Belle turned around and went back to her room, humming quietly to herself as she went through all her new gowns in her head, trying to decide which one she would wear for her sister's arrival.

oOoOo

The next day of the tourney turned out to be the most emotional and intense day for almost everyone. Though when James woke up that morning and decided that the first thing he wanted to do was go and see Lily, he had no way of knowing that. He had no way of knowing how today's events would shape the future. So, he felt pretty good as he started walking towards Lily's house.

His feet took him down a very familiar path, one that he had taken maybe a hundred times in the last few months, but he still wasn't sure if he was pushing his luck or not until Lily's bright red hair caught his eye. It was when he saw her that all of the doubts that he'd spent the night mulling over just vanished and he felt as though they were still on the roof, just the two of them looking out at the city and up at the stars. They had talked for hours as though they'd been spending all their time alone in each other's presence. He knew that he should probably be giving her some space after what she'd said last night about her needed to make a decision for herself. The odds of her having decided what she wanted to do between now and when he'd last seen her were very slim, but he couldn't help it. He felt as though he needed to see her, and so here he was.

Lily saw him coming, before he said anything, and waved cheerfully at him. "Hullo, James." She was smiling like she had last night, with little restraint and it made his stomach flip and his heart rate pick up considerably. She was hanging up laundry on a line connected from the corner of her house to the corner of her neighbor's house. She stopped what she was doing and turned around, grabbing a book off the windowsill. "I've gotten through the whole first chapter. There's a few words that I skipped over, because I don't know them. But I think I'm getting much better."

James tried to smile at her. He tried to plant his feet a reasonable distance away and smile like he should, but his feet were following a plan that they hadn't let his brain in on, so his feet didn't stop at a reasonable distance. They didn't stop at an unreasonable distance either. In fact, they didn't stop until James' feet and Lily's feet were damn near on top of one another. So much for not pushing his luck.

When Lily didn't immediately back away, James slowly started to wrap his arms around her middle and pull her closer to him, his right hand finding the small of her back and his left lightly trailing up her arm.

Lily's lips parted slightly and her breathing became shallow. James ran a thumb along her cheek and finally looked her in the eye. There was one thing he'd wanted to do last night, but hadn't found the courage to do it.

"Did you mark the words you didn't know?" He asked, his tone completely normal, if not quiet, as though he had stopped at a reasonable distance. He didn't know how he was managing that.

Lily blinked up at him and swallowed hard. "I folded down the corner of the pages that they were on." She said, her voice quiet and thick. He wondered if she could hear his heart pounding around in his chest.

"We'll go over them later." James said, leaning down slightly, so his forehead was resting on hers.

"You can come over for dinner if you'd like." Lily whispered. James relished in the feeling of her hot breath washing over his face and had to bit the tip of his tongue to keep from sighing. "We can go over them after we eat."

"That sounds perfect." James said, now whispering himself. His hand slowly moved from her cheek to the base of her neck and he leaned in further, angling his head as he went. Lily's hands had been at her sides up until this point, holding onto the book that he had leant her. He heard a thump and saw Lily close her eyes before he felt her slide her hands up over his chest and wrap her arms around his neck.

James closed his eyes and leaned forward. When their lips finally met, he could feel the kiss all the way in his toes. He moved slowly at first, continuing with the pace he had first set, but when she ran a hand through his hair and sighed against his lips, he almost lost himself completely.

He started walking her backwards, past the clotheslines, until he had her backed up against the wall of her house. His arms stayed wrapped around her and his lips moved with hers hungrily; and maybe this was too much for a first kiss but it felt like he'd been waiting for it forever and now that it was finally happening, he couldn't stop himself from being a bit overexcited, a bit overzealous. He tried to take everything in, the taste of her tongue, the feel of her lips, the curve of her waist, but kissing her was overwhelming. He could feel his heart pounding, and his face was flushed. He couldn't focus on anything specific, he just let the kiss envelope him.

When he finally ran out of breath, he pulled back only slightly and settled for resting his forehead against hers again.

For a long while neither of them said a word, they just stood there with their heads together. Lily's hands were still lost in James' hair and James was afraid that if he let go of Lily, then she might vanish all together. That he would wake up in his bed and this would have all just been some wonderful dream.

He couldn't think straight; his mind was clouded over and he started speaking before he knew what he was going to say. "Marry me." He whispered fervently, his voice ragged. His heart seemed to stop for a moment when he heard himself, but he had no doubt in his mind that that's what he wanted. He knew he wanted to marry her for over a year now and so he opened his eyes and looked at her.

Lily opened her eyes and stopped breathing all in less than a second, but James just looked back at her resolutely.

"I told you once, almost a year ago, that I was falling in love with you and that was long before I had gotten to know you Lily. I love you, and I want to marry you."

Her hands fell from his hair and would have found her sides again if his arms hadn't still been wrapped around her middle. The dazed look that had adorn her face had turned hard and her lips were now pressed in a thin line.

"I know that things won't be easy, especially not at first but-"

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" She interrupted him, trying to lean away from him, but the wall was getting in her way. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him back. "What do you think you're doing?!" She shouted again.

James stumbled back, more shocked than he should have been. "I'm being honest with you! I don't want to-"

"No! No, you don't get to- This isn't fair of you! You can't just come down here, kiss me and then tell me to marry you."

"I _wasn't_ telling you to do anything!" James said quickly, ran a hand through his hair and took a step towards her. She slunk to the side and walked back toward the street. "I was asking you-" She spun back around.

"No! You weren't asking me, you said, 'Marry me,'"

"Lily, will you marry me?"

"No!" Her eyes were wide and her face was flushed, and not just because she and James had been snogging only a minute before. She was angry and James didn't understand why, because he was still mostly ecstatic about the whole snogging part.

"Why not?" He said, sounding dangerously close to petulant.

"Because that's not how things work! Last week you had no desire to marry me, but then this week, some king comes to town and tries to sell you his daughter-"

"I've wanted to marry you since last year, Lily." James interrupted her this time, taking a few steps towards her and catching her hand in his. "You know damn well my feelings for you are not motivated by some king trying to pawn off his daughter."

"Well, your timing is impeccable." She tried to yank her hand away, but James held onto it tightly, desperately.

"I love you." He repeated. Lily huffed and covered her eyes with her free hand.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do." He took a step closer and when she stayed where she was, he wrapped his other hand around her middle and pulled her up against him again. "I love you, I want to marry you."

Lily took a deep, shaky breath and then sighed. She started shaking her head. "No." She said, stepping out of his reach again and through the clothes that were on the line so she was back on the street. "No, you need to go. You need to get to the tournament and you need to- you need to-" She floundered for a moment as he walked out onto the street with her, looking rather dejected. "You need to go." She settled on. James couldn't help how he was feeling just then. As though his guts were twisting up inside of him. He shouldn't have done anything of that, he shouldn't have kissed her, he shouldn't have asked her to marry him.

And if he wasn't so bull-headed and if she wasn't so flustered, they might have been able to better explain themselves. But he took her dismissal as rejection and she had no clue where this sudden declaration had come from.

He looked at her for a moment, hoping that she'd change her mind or trying to think of something else to say, even he wasn't sure. But she just stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and after a moment he nodded sharply and turned back toward the castle. After all, he had a busy day and he couldn't waste any more time where he clearly wasn't wanted.

oOoOo

Marlene paced back and forth in her tent. She had her helmet firmly in place, and there were about half a dozen squires running in and out of the tent doing whatever it was they were supposed to be doing but Marlene couldn't be bothered by them, she had just won the jousting tournament and placed quite well in both sword fighting and archery. She was quite sure that most of the squires coming in were just trying to get a glimpse of her. News of the Masked-Knight was in high demand and she had to be extra careful to keep her helmet in place with all of these extra spectators around trying to see what kind of deformity she was hiding.

And then there was the matter of her family. She still hadn't seen them and she was running out of time to make a decision about how she wanted to handle all of this. She desperately wanted to see her mother at the very least, but she didn't know how her mother would react, what she would end up telling her father, or how she would even get her mother alone when she was constantly with the rest of her family. And it wasn't as though she didn't miss her siblings as well. They had been her best friends when she was younger and she'd gone so long without seeing them. She didn't regret leaving, but she did wish that there had been a way for her to keep in contact with them. A way for her father to understand that she needed to be free, that she wasn't made to be a princess or to be married to some prince.

She sighed and clenched her hands into fists, her leather gloves tightening uncomfortably around her knuckles.

"Alright, Lance?" Sirius Black said by way of greeting as he walked into the tent. Marlene looked up and watched as he walked over to the small table in the corner of her tent and poured himself a glass of mead. "There are too many people here." He'd bested her in the sword fight, not that she was surprised of course, but it was the first time that the two of them had actually gone up against one another and the challenge of it had been exhilarating. It had even made her forget that her family was watching for a time.

"Far too many." She agreed.

"You think you'll ever take your helm off around me and the other knights?" He asked, because it was always one of the first things he asked when he talked to Lance.

"I'm not sure," She said, though she was becoming more and more sure that she would reveal herself to them. "I want you to train with me though. You're good, and I can learn from you."

Sirius grinned at her, "Why are you always so humble?" He chuckled and took a long drink. "You just bested most of the men out there, brag a little."

"I did just best most of the men out there, but _they_ aren't in my tent."

"I suppose that's true. I'm really rather good aren't I?"

"And you brag enough for the both of us."

"I could start bragging for you if you want," He shrugged. "Because you're really rather good as well. I just happen to be better. Slightly." He winked and Marlene shook her head. "So what's James told you about this table of his?" He asked, quickly changing the subject.

"The table? He didn't tell me any more than what he said in his address last week. He's looking for men of strong character and unbreakable faith in the common good to sit at the table and serve the people."

"He's going to ask you to join him." Sirius said to which Marlene snorted. "To take a seat at the table- why is that funny?"

"Why would he ask me?" She deadpanned.

"Why wouldn't he? You're one of the most kind and fair people we know. Also the fact that you laughed at the thought of being nominated kind of proves you should be there."

"I'm lying to everyone…" She snapped. "I can't stand for those values and continue to lie-"

"This is why I'm telling you ahead of time, so you can shout at me in private and not shout at anyone while James is talking to you."

"There are so many other noble knights that he could ask- You! Why doesn't he ask you?"

"I'm sure he will even though I told him not to. But there are twelve seats at the table, Lance. He's not asking you to govern the kingdom by yourself." He took another drink and then set his mug down and started walking towards the exit. "But try and act surprised when he makes the announcement, I wasn't supposed to tell you this. Not that we'll be able to see you face so I suppose you can react however you want." He chuckled.

"What does Remus think of this?"

"Remus?" Sirius turned back towards him and shrugged. "We're all rooting for you." And then he disappeared behind the tent flap and Marlene was left to panic alone. Soon however, more squires were rushing in and out, fixing the mess that Sirius had just made, and re-shinning her armor and congratulating her on her victory, but she couldn't even be proud of herself anymore.

"Lancelot, please follow me." Another squire came in, though Marlene recognized him as one of James' men. His name was Benjy and Lance had seen him around the training fields a great number of times, but she'd never seen him look so proud before and it made her stomach churn. "The king has a great honor to bestow upon you."

"Now?" She asked, her voice jumping an octave and sounding far to feminine. Benjy didn't seem to notice however and Marlene made herself take a deep breath.

The next few moments were a blur, as she was led back out to the middle of the arena. She climbed up a few steps to stand on the victor's stage, but when she looked around, she found that she was the only one standing there. The crowd was going crazy, chanting her name and she felt her eyes start to sting. She searched the crowd for Mary and Dory, she needed to see them. What she really needed was both of them up on stage with her.

Instead she saw King James step out onto his balcony and raise his hands to quiet the crowd. "Yes," He said, smiling widely at the crowd. "Yes, this is a very exciting time. The tournaments are winding down, we have many new champions to honor," Marlene was going to be sick. "And Lance here is one of our favorites!" The crowds cheering was almost deafening but she kept her eyes on James. She watched as he turned around and smiled at whoever was in his box. She would bet money that Sirius had made his way back there by now, that Lily and Remus were seated nearby as well.

"I am especially proud of Lancelot's accomplishments," James said, putting his hand up again. "He has shown time and time again that he will stand up and defend those who cannot defend themselves. He's shown that he is an honorable man, who believes in justice and fairness and doing what is right even when it's not always the easy things to do." She felt a tear slide down her cheek and cursed herself. She shouldn't be here right now, she shouldn't have competed in this bloody tournament. The minutes she heard her parents were coming to the castle, she should have asked for some time off and went and hid in the woods, then none of this would be happening.

"I spoke earlier last week of the round table," He said the phrase with such conviction that it didn't sound humorous anymore, even now the thought of this table and what it stood for made Marlene feel hopeful. "I told you all that I would be using this tournament to be looking for people from my great kingdom, to work with me to make us even stronger, to work towards closing the lines of division that still hold us back," The cheering was growing again. James was getting much better at giving speeches, but Marlene had now started to tremble. What was she going to do? James continued to speak and the crowd continued to cheer and Marlene found herself looking for the exits, counting how many people would try and stop her if she were to run.

"So here I am," James drew her attention back to him, standing up in his balcony looking straight at her. "Asking _you_ , Lancelot, to be the first of twelve men to join me at my table. To join me in working to look after the people of this kingdom. I am asking you to swear your loyalty and your sword, to become a knight of the round table." There was a slight hush over the crowd now, they were holding back their cheering so they could hear Marlene's response.

She cleared her throat and looked around nervously. She was very grateful to Sirius for having warned her earlier, otherwise she would have been completely blindsided instead of only partially blindsided. She couldn't accept, all of her morals and values, all of the things that he wanted her to be, that _she_ wanted to be, prevented her from kneeling before her king and swearing to him her sword. She had already deceived him once when she first became a knight, but it had been different then, he hadn't been king, he hadn't been her friend.

She cleared her throat again. "Your majesty," She called out, her voice trembling. "I've fought many a foe before this day, and yet I've never felt as nervous as I do right now." The crowd chuckled and she took the moment of reprieve to find her father's face. It was easy to spot, as her family had their own box as well. She saw her mother seated beside her sister. Her brothers were standing off to the side, paying attention only partially, and having a conversation of their own. "I am humbled and honored by your request- simply that you think I'm good enough to start this quest with you means the world to me, but I have to-" She cleared her throat again and made sure she was speaking loudly enough so that everyone would hear her and she wouldn't have to repeat herself. "I have to reject the offer." She said.

The crowd was confused, James was confused.

James' smile was forced, she could tell even from this distance. Sirius walked up beside him and gave her a look but it didn't matter, she couldn't accept his offer. "Lance," James said. "You mean a great deal to the people of Camelot, judging by their applause I would say that they are willing to put their faith in you, to trust that you would be willing to make hard decisions while keeping their best interest at heart." The crowd cheered again. He went on, singing her praise and getting the crowd to cheer for her and she felt worse and worse. She looked over to her family again, her father was quite interested now that she was causing a scene. She was making a mockery of James' first order as king and this would not go over well for him- or her.

She needed to tell the truth.

James continued to go on and Marlene, without much warning or build up – because she wouldn't have been able to do it then – reached up both arms and lifted her helmet off her head. Her long blonde hair came falling out of her helmet and she looked at the ground and James and the crowd got quiet. "I've lied to you all," She said, speaking for the first time as herself and not the character she'd been playing. Her voice was steady, despite her feeling as though rocks were tumbling around in her stomach. "I've broken the law by becoming a knight, and I refuse to let this charade ruin your plan to bring our Kingdom together and make us stronger." She chanced a peek over at her father and wished she hadn't, because it was clear that her entire family had recognized her. Her mother looked as though she wanted to call out to her, but she wouldn't. Finding out that Lance was a woman was enough of a shock without adding that he was also a former princess from another kingdom as well.

The crowd was murmuring, James was at a loss for words, Sirius looked gob smacked and then she saw Remus rush up to James' side and whisper something into his ear. James nodded and then shook his head.

Everyone just seemed confused. She had been expecting to get arrested when the news finally came out, but no one seemed to be itching to get her thrown in a cell. At least not yet.

"That marks the end of the Tourney for today," James called out. "Lance- er, madam, please meet me in the Throne Room." He disappeared into his box and Marlene felt as though she had been dowsed in cold water. Everyone was still muttering, still not sure what to think, and she slowly stepped down from the champions stage and made her way to the castle, keeping off the main roads to try and avoid the crowds, but because of this damned Tourney, there were crowds everywhere, and they seemed to part as she walked by.

oOoOo

"Why didn't you tell me?" James shouted at Sirius and Remus when they were back in the castle.

"It wasn't my secret to tell," Remus sighed, rubbing his hands. "If I thought she might reveal herself like that I would have told you so that you could talk to her in private first, but I- I didn't know-"

"I didn't know she was a woman!" Sirius shouted. "But I knew that he- _she_ wasn't going to feel like he- _she_ deserved it." He looked frustrated and shook his head. "Bloody hell."

"Yes, okay, but I didn't think that she'd stand in front of the entire kingdom and- and tell the truth!"

"I think it's pretty neat." Lily said, walking up and almost completely calm, a stark contrast from that morning. "I mean, it's a stupid rule that a woman can't be a knight."

"She's not just a woman, Lily." Remus said, stretching at the back of his neck.

"I knew you liked her," Lily said, grinning at him.

"No, I don't- She's Princess Marlene McKinnon."

"That she is," King Johnathan boomed, walking into the Throne Room behind them. James didn't even have a chance to be dumbfounded and his three companions were already stepping to the side of the room and bowing to the royal family that followed after their patriarch. "Did you know she was here? Did you listen to me lament over my lost child and-"

"He didn't know." Marlene was last to enter the room. "No one knew because I didn't tell anyone." She said, pursing her lips. Her helmet was tucked under one of her arms and her hair was all pushed over to one side. She was filthy, as one tended to be after winning a jousting tournament, but James definitely recognized her from the little girl he had known as a child. "When I wasn't being Lance, I didn't let James see me. I knew that he was the only one in this entire kingdom that could recognize me. At least, that was true until you all came to town." She kicked her toe at the ground, her sheathed sword bouncing off her leg.

"Marlene," Her mum breathed, walking up and cupping her cheek. "I've missed you so much, my heart." She kissed her cheeks. Her brothers and Charlotte walked over to greet her as well, but King Johnathan stayed where he was, looking at his daughter as though she were some kind of imposter.

James felt as though he were intruding. He turned to the others and nodded towards the door. Sirius didn't see him, but Lily grabbed him by the arm and started walking away. James excused himself, and followed after them.

When they were all out in the corridor James took a deep and shaky breath, letting it out slowly through his nose. "What the bloody hell is going on here?"

"I like it," Lily said.

"That's her, James. The girl I was telling you about the other day." Sirius said.

"You can't sleep with Marlene," Remus hissed. "She's a princess."

"Not anymore," James laughed humorlessly. "She's been pretending to be a man for- for at least the last two years. Her family is not going to claim her, let alone let her take her thrown back."

"This is barmy." Remus sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Absolutely mad." James agreed. "She was my first appointment." He said. "What are people going to think now? Not only did she turn me down, but then she's a- she's a _she_." He leaned against the wall and shook his head.

"Are you going to let her be a knight still?" Lily asked. "I understand if you can't put her at the table right away-"

"Lily," James sighed, "I can't think about that right now."

She pressed her lips together. "I'm not letting you kick her out." James chose to pretend that he couldn't hear this.

Unfortunately for him, Lily hadn't been very quiet since that morning and she wasn't taking his silence as she might have before he'd kissed her and purposed all in the span of about five minutes. "James look at me," She said, and he looked at her, his arms crossed over his chest and his brows raised. "You can't kick her out. She's been nothing but loyal and one of your best knights." He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off before he could say anything. "No I mean it." She said. "She's saved so many people, been an inspiration to so many people and her being a woman doesn't change any of that. She chose to keep it a secret because she knew she wouldn't be able to help if she was a woman. People wouldn't have taken her seriously. You see the way the knights talk to Dory, and Mary when she speaks up. She kept a secret from you in order to help the kingdom. To do the most good that she could and you can't punish her for that."

"I understand, Lily." He said, but his mind was still clouded and he just needed to think. "But things are never that simply and you know this." She pressed her lips together and turned away from him. She muttered something under her breath but James couldn't hear her and he wasn't sure that he wanted to know what she said because Sirius heard and snickered. He turned away and looked at Remus. "We were bound to hit some sort of problem during this tourney." He said. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"Yes." But it wasn't Remus that spoke up. It was Lily.

James turned back around to look at her. "She's a princess, Lily. It's all more comp-"

"I wasn't talking about your betrothed," She frowned and he was surprised for a moment, having forgotten that he'd told her that he had been betrothed to King Johnathan's first born daughter. "I just wanted to know if you've found out anything about that man I told you about."

"Snape?" He asked. "I've not had much time to look into it, but I haven't found anything on him yet."

"I'm telling you, he's up to something." James took a deep breath and shook his head.

"I heard you the first time," He said. "But I don't have the man power to-"

"I'm not asking you to do much. Just have him followed. Sirius could do it."

"Who is this man?" Sirius asked, pushing off the wall he'd been leaning on.

"He's terrifying." Lily said. "And he keeps just popping up around the city and he makes me feel uncomfortable."

"He hasn't done anything wrong though, right?" He asked. "You told me that he hadn't done anything wrong and that-"

"So why are you two fighting?" Remus asked, finally getting to the real issue at hand.

"We're not fighting." James said at the same time Lily said, "Because he's a presumptuous arse." Sirius snickered again and James wanted to throw something at him.

"Well, alright then." Remus said and then looked at Lily. "I'll talk to you later."

"Can you stop talking like I'm not here?" James asked.

"Like you're not here or like you're not our king?" Lily asked, raising a brow. "Because you can't have it both ways. We can't be on equal footing and treat you like you're better than us."

"That's not the issue here." He said, running a hand through his hair. "I need to go and talk to Marlene. I'll be back later."

"Fine." Lily said, her arms wrapped tightly across her chest.

He looked at her, wanting to say something that would fix this, that would make her not so angry or upset or whatever she was, but he didn't know what would do that, so he turned around without saying anything and walked out of the room.

oOoOo

It wasn't until a few hours later that James got a chance to talk to Marlene alone. Her father had yelled at her quite a bit and then forced everyone else in the family to follow him back to their suite. He entered the Throne Room and found her seated in a windowsill, all of her armor was lying next to the wall. It was strange to see a woman wearing a pair of trousers, but that was the least of his concerns today.

"Long day?" He asked gently, not wanting to startle her. She was startled anyway and moved to get up from where she had looked almost comfortable. "Please don't get up, Mar." He said, using her old nickname.

She sighed, and when James got closer he could see how red her eyes were. She'd been crying. "Don't do that." She said. "I know we were friends once upon a time, but… we're not equals anymore." She sighed. "You're my king, and I lied to you and I might have ruined your reputation earlier today."

"Don't give yourself so much credit." He sighed, hopping up on the windowsill beside her. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. "I mean, I'm honestly not that surprised. You were always good with a sword when we were kids. Always wanting to prove you were just as good as your brothers."

"I didn't want to prove I was just as good, I wanted to prove that I was the best." She corrected, almost grinning. "But that's not what my father wanted. He wanted me to marry you," She laughed then, but she still didn't smile.

"And my father wanted me to marry you." He said. "You became a knight and I'm going to marry a peasant." He chuckled, because despite everything that had happened today, he wasn't quite ready to throw in the towel. Not when he knew that she finally had feelings for him.

"You think your dad would be disappointed in you?" She asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her eyes.

"You met him," He said. "As a princess and a knight. You know the answer to that."

"He'd be disappointed that you fell in love." She said. James pressed his lips together. His parents had been in love and Charles had always told James that while he wanted that for him, it was more important to create strong alliances with James' marriage.

"He might." He nodded. "By the end, it seemed like everything I did disappointed him."

She sighed and leaned her head against the glass, looking out on the grounds. "I think fathers sometimes forget that they're children are human." She said quietly. "They build us up in their heads to these- these paradigms that we couldn't possible live up to and then blame us when we fall short." She looked at him and the corner of her mouth quirked upward. "Not that I gave my father much of a chance to be disappointed in me before today. I ran as soon as I could."

"Why?" He asked. "You had a family that loved you, and while I understand how heavy the crown can be-"

"That's not it, James." She said quietly. "It's different when you're a princess. You got to argue with your father, stand up to him, tell him when he was wrong- whether he listened to you or not- you had a right to an opinion.

"It was so oppressive in that castle. I hated watching my mum bit her tongue, hated watching my father blatantly favor my older brothers, even my younger brother, over my sister and me. And it wasn't as though he were doing it to hurt me or because he didn't love me. That's just the way things are." She hopped down from the window sill and walked over to his throne, running her hand over the arm of the chair. "I had no voice, no power over what my future would be like, and so I ran away and became everything that I wanted to be. The only way to really do that though, was to become a man. I was after freedom and power and so I pretended that I was a man and I lied to you and everyone else here in this wonderful kingdom that you're rebuilding."

James thought about Dory and Mary and Lily and how all three of them got upset whenever anyone brought up their gender as a means to dismiss them, or acted as though they couldn't protect themselves, or needed to be watched or told them that they were over reacting to something. "Dory-"

"Dory was… we'll say traded? She was traded by her family, the Meadows, when she was thirteen, to the Lestranges. Her family wanted protection from bandits, and they wanted a bride for their eldest son." She looked at him and narrowed her brows. "Of course the whole things was a moot point after everyone found out she had magic. Her family disowned her before the wedding and suddenly she was a nobody."

They were quiet for a while and Marlene glanced at him and then tentatively sat in his throne. He grinned at her. "As uncomfortable as you remember?"

"Yeah," She said, gripping the arms tightly and taking a deep breath. "My dad told me I'm not allowed to go home." She said, her voice cracking. "My mum was sobbing and he just-" Her grip on the chair tightened. "I know that I- I embarrassed you in front of everyone today but would you let me stay in the city? I'll just be out by Hagrid's-"

"Why would I make you leave?" He asked, even though he knew exactly why she was so nervous. He had been angry with her, after he stopped being so confused, but she had been his friend once, and he understood her reasoning. He had listened to Remus and Sirius and Lily, only two of which had been any help. "It might be difficult," He said. "But I'd like to keep you on as a knight as well." He hadn't been sure about that until just now, despite what Lily had said.

"What?" She said, clearly shocked by this.

"You're the best knight we have."

"No, Sirius is the best knight you have."

"He hardly counts," James said, dismissing this. "He never trains or goes on patrol. He's more like a bodyguard."

"No one is going to let me-"

"I think you're underestimating them." He said. "And I've done that before when it came to whether or not they would accept me. They tend to follow my example." She smiled and stood up, crossing the room and throwing her arms around him.

"You know," She said into his shoulder. "Being married to you might not have been so bad."

"That's high praise, Lance." He said and when she laughed this time he could tell she was smiling.

"Thank you," She muttered, hugging him tighter.

"It's not going to be easy," He said. "At least I don't think it will be."

"That's fine." She said.

"Do you want me to talk to your father tomorrow morning?" He asked.

"No, he's not going to change his mind."

"I know, but if I'm talking to him you could go and see the rest of your family."

"You've done enough," She assured him. "But yes please." She nodded against him and then pulled away smiling. "You're being far too kind."

"Trying to collect good karma," He grinned. "Or right past wrongs. One or the other."

"Thank you again." She left shortly afterwards and James sat down in his throne and rested his chin against his fist. He had no idea if he'd made the right choice with Marlene, but it was hard for him to look a someone in pain and not help. Especially when helping was so easy. All she needed was forgiveness and a chance.


End file.
